At this moment in time, fear constantly spreads as the Coronavirus infects more people. While our lives are threatened by this obstrosity, our earthly securities and comforts have almost been stripped away, too. Yet, through all of this, one thing remains secure, stable, unchanged, and undefiled- our God and Savior, who’s soverienty reigns and who’s love rescues. He calls us not to live in fear. Rather, He wants us to live a Spirit-filled life. As 2 Timothy 1:7 NLT declares, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” This verse signifies who God’s Spirit is and what He can do in our hearts if He lives inside them.
God’s Spirit Living Inside Us
2 Timothy 1:7 tells us what the Holy Spirit, one person in our triune God, is like. Living and active, He is powerful, loving, and knows no sin. Of course, we cannot expect to obtain power, love, and self-control through the ability of our own spirits; it is only by the Spirit of God that we have access to these things. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law,” proclaims Galations 5:22-23. Believers in Christ are not subject to a spirit of fear and timidity because the Holy Spirit comes to live inside them when they confess Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
God’s Spirit Is One With God
When the Holy Spirit dwells within us, God dwells within us because the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one. John 14:23 NIV says, “Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” Christians often think of the Holy Spirit like some imaginary force, rather than a real person of the real God. Francis Chan argues in his book Forgotten God that we would rather have the physical Jesus beside us rather than something we can’t see living in us. However, Jesus said that it was to our advantage that He leave us so that the Holy Spirit would come. In John 16:7 ESV, Jesus tells His disciples, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” According to Jesus, the Son of God, it is better for Him to send His Spirit to us and go be with His Father rather than stay with us physically.
Based off of studying the first Greek translation of John 16:7, Chan says that when Jesus talks about the Helper, He is referring to someone who is “like the first.” Chan goes on to point out that the Holy Spirit is not a second-hand Jesus; He is one person of the Trinity, equal to God in power and love. Unfortunately, possibly unknowingly, we disregard this fact when living our everyday lives. Instead, our lives resemble the rest of the world’s lives, besides attending church activities and reading our Bibles occasionally. Although we believe in God, we tend to box Him into certain areas of our lives instead of surrending everything to Him. It’s time to repent of our sin and remove ourselves from the throne of our lives. It’s time to invite the Holy Spirit to take control and change us from the inside out (Matthew 3:11 GW).
God Is Powerful
Since God’s Spirit is one with God, He shares all the same attriubutes. The Holy Spirit is powerful. During creation, Genesis 1:2 relays, “…the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Wow! Can you imagine God’s Spirit over the face of the waters while God said a few words and the world came into being? Now that’s power! By living inside of us, He gives us power, too- the power to resist temptation, to pray fervently, and to live confidently of our sure and steady hope” (Romans 15:13 ESV). (For more Bible verses about God’s power, see Psalm 29:4, Psalm 50:1, and Psalm 103.)
God Is Loving
The Holy Spirit is also loving. Exodus records, “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness'” (34:6 ESV). God loves us beyond measure. Out of love, He died to rescue us from our sins. There’s no need to fear death if you believe in Jesus Christ. He conquered death once and for all on the cross for us. Then, He sent His Spirit to help us live more like Him (John 16:4-15 ESV). Proverbs 3:12 says, “… the Lord reproves him whom he loves…” and, “By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil” (16:6 ESV). God’s Spirit comes into our lives and helps us to live as God’s children instead of slaves to sin as we once were.
God Is Self-Controlled
As well as being powerful and loving, the Lord is self-controlled in the sense that He is holy without any sin. We can read about His self-control in Matthew 4:1-11. In this Scripture passage, it says that “…Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1) He experienced three different temptations, but He didn’t give in once. While we are tempted into sin, I once heard a pastor say that Jesus is tempted, yet He cannot give into sin because He is holy. We will still sin on this earth, but if we press into the Holy Spirit He can empower us to resist temptation and be self-controlled like Jesus.
A Call to Action
As you see the new updates about the Coronavirus in media and fear threatens to invade your mind, remember 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” If God’s Spirit lives inside you, you have naught to fear, and all the more to be encouraged to tell other people about the Good News of Jesus. Right now, fear is blinding people. They are desparately clinging to the things of this world, even ruthlessly collecting simple things like toilet paper to assure some security. Although collecting a few extra toilet-paper rolls may not hurt, these things will eventually fail us. There is one hope, however, one God, one way, one Truth, and one life who will never disappoint us (John 14:6). He is called, “Wonderful Couselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus is His name, and people need to hear it.
We are God’s servants. We have witnessed Him working in our own lives, and it is our responsibility to share the Gospel with anyone who the Spirit allows. We can’t change another’s heart, but God can with His power and love. In Isaiah 44:8 NIV, He commands, “Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.” Indeed, there is no hope besides the name of Jesus, who later says in John 14:26-27 ESV, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” We don’t have to be afraid of getting COVID-19 or anything else for that matter because God reigns and He rescues. If we ask His Holy Spirit to come live inside our hearts, He can fill us with His power, love, and self-control. So, for what are you waiting?! Press into Him today! Show His love to others!
Works Referenced
1.7 Million Stunning Free Images to Use Anywhere – Pixabay. pixabay.com/.
“BibleGateway.” BibleGateway.com: A Searchable Online Bible in over 150 Versions and 50 Languages., www.biblegateway.com/.
Chan, Francis. Forgotten God Study Resource: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit. David C Cook, 2010.
