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I am reviewing and renewing the first 11 verses of Acts 18 on purpose because I want to do a greater underlining of certain truths that are found in them. How many many times I have been told that if you walk in the Spirit you will never be afraid? Paul shatters that falsehood. Only Christ can lift fear off of a person and it often takes Christian friends to help that happen. Timothy and Silas were the Christian friends that helped Paul become unafraid.
One of the things so often stressed by Christians not going through certain emotions at the moment or who have never gone through them yet is that negative emotions like fear, doubt, anger at God, etc. will keep God from answering that person’s prayers until they absolutely get over such emotions. But Paul feared and God kept answering his prayers. Thomas doubted and Christ showed himself to Thomas anyway and breathed the Holy Spirit into him. And Christ Himself was angry with a fig tree and His power didn’t weaken as a withered the tree.
The point is, Christians do have human emotions and a Christian’s honest emotions don’t limit the power of their prayers. God understands every human’s weaknesses and urges them to boldly come to Him so that He can meet their needs with “mercy and grace” (Hebrews 4:14–16.)
Acts 18:1–17 Can a real Christian be afraid?