The Time is Now

Written by Jason Allums 

As a believer in Jesus Christ in 2022, you cannot be a coward. The hour in which we live demands that we be not ashamed of Jesus Christ, His teachings, and His commands.

2 Timothy 1:7 says, “God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

A person of faith must not be a coward. It is a contradiction of terms. The characteristics of a Christian is power, love, and control over self. These are the marks of a believer on any continent. Take for example the life of the Apostle Paul.

The Corinthian church questioned his power and leadership. The Galatians questioned his love as he preached rugged truth and was hard on the flesh. Both Mark and Barnabas must have thought of him as tough, unreasonable, and unrelenting at one time in Acts. Demas and Alexander felt his sternness as he dealt with their lack of dedication. Peter endured a confrontation with Paul as he openly questioned his decision not to eat with uncircumcised believers. Festus, the politician, thought Paul to be insane. A person of faith must not be a coward.

But this confrontation is done through sincere love. Power, without love, can become brutal and dictatorial. Love, without self-control, discipline, can become sloppy sentimentalism and turn into corruption.  

The Greek wording of “spirit of fear” has a meaning in a wholly different category of feeling or emotion; It means a trait of character, conduct, or attitude. It expresses the worst effect of the troubling of the heart, not the natural emotion of fear, but the cowardly yielding to it. It is describing someone who shrinks back from duty, loses hope, abandons what it should hold fast, surrenders to the enemy. Paul says you can’t apply the term “Christian” to that attitude regardless of the person’s religious affiliation.

There is no other option for a Christian except to be strong in the Lord. There are no eight-hour days in the spiritual life. The demand of duty has no measure save the opportunity. The demand never takes a vacation. You are always front and center. You will find no leniency if you appeal to Jesus. I am reminded that the one-talent man “was afraid [a coward], and went and hid his Lord’s money in the earth” (Matthew 25:25). That is all it took to send that coward into outer darkness. Note Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful [the cowards],… shall have their part in the lake of fire.”

I want to serve my generation. I know it demands courage. Today is no different than yesterday. The same Spirit of God will clothe me (and you) for the task I must attempt. I will trust and not be afraid. If you have failed, you need not fail again. Note Mark of the book of Acts after Paul dismissed him from the missions field. 2 Timothy 4:11: “Take Mark, and bring him with you: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.” Mark faltered once, but he had recovered! Mark stumbled, but he did not quit! He is numbered among the overcomers!

Our nation, our world, and our communities need the believers to believe in a God who can do miraculous things once again. Take courage in the Lord our God!