WILL FEAR STOP THE GOOD NEWS OR GOD'S WILL?

[Bible Speaks]

WILL FEAR STOP THE GOOD NEWS OR GOD'S WILL?

(John 15:19)  Because of peer pressure, some men may hesitate to follow Christ fully. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea kept their interest in Jesus secret because they were afraid of what other Jews might say or do if they found out. (John 3:1, 2; 19:38)

This fear was not imaginary. The religious leaders’ hatred for Jesus eventually became so great that anyone who confessed faith in him was expelled from the synagogue.

In some places today, if a man takes too much interest in God, the Bible, or religion, he may be harassed by his workmates, friends, or relatives. In other places, it may even be dangerous to talk about changing one’s religion.

Peer pressure can be especially difficult when a man is actively serving in the military, in politics, or in the local community.

For example, a man in Germany admitted: “What you Witnesses preach about the Bible is true. But if I became a Witness today, by tomorrow everyone would know about it. What would they think at work, in the neighborhood, and at the club my family and I belong to? I could not put up with that.”

Although none of Jesus’ apostles were cowards, they all struggled with fear of man. (Mark 14:50, 66-72)

How did Jesus help them to progress despite intense pressure from their peers?

Jesus took steps to prepare his disciples for the opposition they would later face. “Happy are you whenever men hate you,” he said, “and whenever they exclude you and reproach you and cast out your name as wicked for the sake of the Son of man.” (Luke 6:22)

Jesus warned his followers that they should expect reproach. Any reproach was “for the sake of the Son of man.”

Jesus also assured them that God would back them up as long as they relied on Him for help and strength. (Luke 12:4-12)

Moreover, Jesus invited new ones to associate freely with his disciples and make friends with them.

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2011844?q=fear+of+man&p=par