The Only Way to Overcome Evil and Fear is with Goodness and Love

I’m not sure from where I took these notes, but they are around ten years old, so I’m assuming they are a combination of sermons, people from my church, and anything and everything from CCEF:

“When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.” … “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged!” From Deuteronomy 31

The only way to overcome evil and fear is with goodness and love.

“There are two kinds of righteousness, active and passive, to the end that manners and faith, works and grace, policy and religion, should not be confounded, or take the one for the other. Both are necessary; but must be kept within their bounds; Christian righteousness appertaineth to the new man, and the righteousness of the law appertaineth to the old man, which is born of flesh and blood. … So both these continue while we live here. The flesh is accused, exercised with temptations, oppressed with heaviness and sorrow, bruised by its active righteousness of the law; but the spirit reigneth, rejoiceth, and is saved by the passive and Christian righteousness, because it knoweth that it hath a Lord in Heaven, at the right hand of His Father, who hath abolished the law, sin, death, and hath trodden under His feet all evils, led them captive, and triumphed over them in Himself (Col. 2:15).” From Martin Luther’s Introduction to His Commentary on Galatians

What do we look like when we fail to accept who we are (good and bad)?

• • Perfectionism
  • Idealism
  • Intolerance/judgment
  • Phariseeism
  • Resignation/defeatism
  • Rejection of God, the Gospel, Christ
  • Excessive anger, rage, frustration, disappointment
  • Rejection of self, others, broken relationships
  • Insecure image/esteem

“The test of our observance of Christ’s teaching is our consciousness of our failure to attain an ideal perfection. The degree to which we draw near to this perfection cannot be seen; all we can see is the extent of our deviation.” Tolstoy

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?” Psalm 27:1

“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons.” Romans 8:15

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18

“Remember, merciful Jesu, that I am the cause of Your journey.” From Mozart’s Requiem
He remembers.