Often Christians will doubt whether they are living a good enough life to make it to Heaven.  It wasn’t until Adam and Eve sinned that man had ever witnessed fear.  Most times, fear is what Satan uses to control who we become and how we live.  Years ago I heard an illustration describing how fear can control.

Put a grasshopper in a jar and place a lid, with air holes, on the jar.  The grasshopper will try to jump out and hit its head on the lid.  After it jumps a few times and hits it head, it will soon stop jumping.  Take the lid off and it will never try to jump out again.  The fear of pain controls its movement.

The same is true with most people. We, having made a number of mistakes and failures, become afraid of making risky decisions because we fear  making another mistake or failing.  We as Christians must learn to overcome fear and be willing to make risky decisions. The powers of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil as described in Ephesians 6:12 – (“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”), have controlled people, especially Christians, through fear most of our lives.  Middle-Eastern nations and terrorists rule people by fear.  Politicians use fear to get votes.  This is Satan’s way of putting a lid on Christians by using fear to keep us from moving freely outside the jar.

The Bible has made it very clear what God expects of His children:

1.            Abel brought a sacrifice to God that was acceptable but his brother Cain did not.  Apparently God had told them what he expected of each.  One obeyed and one did not.  The illustration of Abel teaches us the importance of worshiping God as Christ teaches and giving Him our very best.  Tithing and sacrificing has been a part of worshiping God from the very beginning.

2.            Abraham left a very wealthy family who had status and at that time a home with walls and a ceiling.  He departed to live the rest of his life as a nomad in tents.  We learn from Abraham the importance of trusting in God and living by faith.  Abraham trusted the future promises of God. It was Abraham’s faith that made him righteous.

3.            Enoch walked with God for 300 years.  He had developed a relationship with God that was so close that God took him to heaven without Enoch having to die.  We learn from Enoch that God expects a relationship with Him from each of us and to worship Him through our daily walk.

4.            Noah was one of the most obedient of all God’s people.  For 120 years he diligently built an ark and preached to people to change their lives.  He had faith in the promise that God would do what He said He would do, destroy everyone with a flood.  Noah teaches us the importance of obedience and persistence.

5.            Christ brought a New Covenant that included teachings under the Old Covenant, but the New Covenant made the laws, regulations, ceremonies and sacrifices of the Old Covenant obsolete.  He did not make the Old Testament obsolete for it gives prophecies of the future, history, examples of Godly people and the character of God.  Under the New Covenant we are judged on our inner selves, our spirit and thoughts but not on our external actions.  Doing good works will not get us to heaven.  But if we have the right relationship with God and others, we will do good deeds with unconditional love. 

God wanted to eliminate any doubt in one’s mind as to what is required to live eternally with Him and Christ.  God tells us what He expects from each Christian and that each one thoroughly understands Christianity.

Christ came so we might get back to how God created man to live, which is a positive, meaningful life free from negative fears.   I Corinthians 15:55 – “Where, O death is your sting?” Hebrews 2:14 & 15 – Christ came that He might destroy Satan who holds the power of death and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.  In addition, Christ’s resurrection has taken the lid off the jar and we are free to become what God created each of us to be. I John 4:18 says, the love we receive from Christ will drive out fear.  However, our background of sin, feelings of unworthiness, lack of confidence and our failures keep us from freely living as God intends and getting outside the jar that has enslaved our thinking.  We must allow the Holy Spirit to help us overcome the negative fears of life.

God made a very perfect and positive Adam and Eve.  Christ came to forgive us of our sins that caused our fears and the control the devil had over us. Being controlled by Satan was not what God wanted for us.  Through our love of God and others we can take back control from the devil and we can overcome negative fears and be assured of our place in Heaven.