The word “fear” occurs 400 times in the Bible in 385 verses.  It’s obviously a significant subject, it is mentioned so many times.  It’s used in a good way and a bad way.  In a good way, it’s very good, even to the extent that it could be put in a sentence that gives the very purpose of mankind (Ecclesiastes 12:13):

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

Here the LORD commands Abraham, “Fear not.”  “Fear not” is a common expression coming from God, which especially make sense if fear is an instrument of Satan toward the bad.

I’m writing on fear because it is the true underlying subject of a lot of what we’ve been discussing here in recent days.  Many different fears of Covid-19 influence people in a wrong way.  We heard from the beginning that Covid-19 was a deadly threat and people are afraid of death.  The word “deadly” is used for coronavirus a lot.  Fear of death makes people slaves and this society may be more afraid of death than any previous one in the history of our country.

The fear of death in a very indulgent culture is greater to the extent that it becomes very compliant to what it is told to preserve its life.  The fear of death is an underlying uncertainty that leads someone to stock pile toilet paper.  It arises from fear of mortality leading to acts of self-preservation. Hebrews 2 says Jesus died to deliver us from that fear.  His death is the solution to that fear.

Satan is in charge of the world system and he knows how to use fear to control and influence people toward how he wants them to think, believe, and behave.  They become willing to pour everything into this life because of uncertainty about the next.  This life is as sure as it gets to them.  They live for it.  Nothing is more than this life because it’s all they’ve got.  Churches aren’t helping with it, because they are also making it about this life, knowing that’s what this generation also thinks.  In other words, churches aren’t bringing deliverance from the actual fear of death, as seen in their adherents’ preoccupations.

We live in a world of fear that is controlling us.  Some leaders and the media are taking advantage of it.  For the most part, it’s just very natural.  Many of the leaders and the media might be fearful too.  It’s hard to interpret where there is purposeful manipulation of the situation and where there isn’t.  However, believers shouldn’t function according to fear of death and should help the rest of the world to do that too — through the gospel.