JOSHUA 1:9 NKJ
9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Over and over the Bible tells us to not be afraid.
When you stop and think about it -- it's ridiculous to be afraid when God is with you -- and for you.
As humans, we tend to forget. Maybe that's why God said so many times to "Fear not!"
Here are just a couple examples.
LUKE 12:7 NIV
7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
ISAIAH 41:13 NIV
13 For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
LUKE 8:50 KJV
50 But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.
The KJV Bible tells us 63 times to "fear not," and 31 times to "be not afraid" or "not be afraid." Obviously, God is trying to tell us something!
If it makes no difference whether we fear, or not, then God wasted a lot of time in Scripture telling us to not be afraid.
Fear is the absence of faith. It can be understood as faith in the devil. Fear is the opposite of believing and trusting in God. Fear stops faith from working. You could say that fear is faith in reverse.
Fear is the cause of all worry, for worry is meditation on fear.
Some may think some fear is healthy, but no true fear is good. We don't have to fear something to have a healthy respect for it, and thus to act wisely. Fear makes people do irrational things. Reverence for God, sometimes called the "fear of God" is healthy, but it has nothing to do with actually being afraid of God.
2 KINGS 6:15-17 NKJ
15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?"
16 So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, "Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
When we look at the world situation, it is easy to cry out like the servant of Elisha. But when we are tempted to be afraid, it is only because we are not seeing the reality of the whole picture. God is for us, so no matter what comes against us, it can never prevail over us.
We should ask God to open our eyes to the truth. Then keep our focus on God's Word, not on the temptations, lies, and roarings of the devil.
Fear is fed by what we look at and listen to. We can resist fear by choosing to always focus on God and His promises.
DEUTERONOMY 31:6 NKJ
6 "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."
When you remember that the Almighty God is ALWAYS with you (and in you!) why should you be afraid?
LUKE 12:7 NKJ
7 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
One way to understand how valuable you are to God is to consider the great price He paid to set you free -- the life of Jesus Christ Himself!
Not even a good earthly parent would allow his child who trusted in him to be harmed. God loves you more than any earthly parent ever loved their child -- and God has the power to fully protect you. So you can trust in Him.
But when we act in fear, we run from the protection of our wonderful Father God and open the door to our enemy.
We should be free from fear because God is for us and watches out for us. The worst that can happen to us (from a worldly perspective) is to die, but even then we will go to be with Jesus. With God on your side, there is really nothing to fear.
Yes, there will be struggles. There will be trials. But these are just opportunities to overcome and gain eternal rewards. In all we face in life, God has promised to be with us, and to help us. So what is there to fear?
JOSHUA 1:9 NET
9 I repeat, be strong and brave! Don't be afraid and don't panic, for I, the LORD your God, am with you in all you do."
EPHESIANS 6:10 NIV
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
No one can successfully argue against the statement, "You are strong in the Lord." It is a given that if you are in the Lord, you are strong. Nothing that is "in the Lord" could be weak.
So the only real question is whether you are "in the Lord.
I JOHN 5:20 NASB
20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 NIV
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
The choice is yours. You choose whether to accept Christ and thus be identified as "in Him." God does no force this, you must choose.
EPHESIANS 2:8-10 NASB
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
From Ephesians 2:8-10 we can see that when we are saved through faith, we are created a new IN Christ Jesus. That is our position. So, anyone and everyone who has received Jesus Christ can be said to be legally "in Him" according to the Scripture.
Always remember that your strength is not in your own ability or resources, but your strength is in the Lord. Depend on Hm. He will never fail you. (He probably will test your patience and maybe even let the situation look hopeless, but He will not ever fail you.)
PSALM 27:1 NKJ
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
HEBREWS 13:5-6 NKJ
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
6 So we ay boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
PSALM 28:8 NIV
8 The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
SAY THIS: I am strong in the Lord. In the Lord, I am strong, for the Lord is my strength.
For whom was all the suffering undergone, which Jesus endured at Calvary? For whom where those hands and feet nailed to the cross? For whom did the precious blood flow so freely down? Wherefore was all this done? It was done for you! It was done for the sinful – for the ungodly. It was done freely, voluntarily – not compulsion – out of love for sinners, and to make atonement for sin. As Christ died for the ungodly, I have a right to proclaim that any one may be saved.
Anyone may be saved because Christ still lives. He lives to receive all who come unto God by Him, to give power to become the son’s God. He lives to hear the confession of every heavy – laden conscience.
He lives to be one Mediator between God and man, the kind shepherd, the never-failing Priest and friend of all who come to God by Him. He lives to be wisdom, righteousness, and redemption to all His people – to keep them in life – and bring them finally to eternal glory.
Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God for the sins of men. He still cares for that mighty work which He undertook when He was born. He is the same as He was when He walked the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
He pardoned Saul the Pharisee, and sends him forth to preach the faith he has once destroyed. He is the same as He was when He received Mary Magdelene – called Matthew the publican – brought Zachaeus down from the tree. He is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Surely I have a right to say that anyone may be saved, since Jesus lives.
“Come unto Me, all ye that labour and heavy burden, and I will give you rest” says the Saviour, “He that believeth on Him is not condemned”. “Everyone which seek the son, and believed on Him may have everlasting life”.
To be saved is to be delivered in the present life of sin, by faith in Jesus Christ. It is to be pardoned, justified and freed from every charge of sin, by faith in Christ blood and mediation. Whosoever believes in Jesus Christ with his heart is a saved soul. He shall not perish, he shall have eternal life. This is the first part of the salvation but this is not all.
Secondary, is to be delivered in this present life from the power of sin, being born again. To be freed from the hateful dominion of sin, by having a new nature put in us by Holy Ghost. Whosoever is thus renewed is a saved soul. He shall enter into the glorious Kingdom of God. This is not all.
To be delivered in the days of judgment, to be declared blameless, faultless and complete in Christ means you are saved. To bear these comfortable words – “Come ye blessed!” while others are bearing those fearful words – “Depart ye cursed!”
To be owned and confessed by Christ, as one of His dear children and servants. It is to receive the reward prepared for the righteous, in the day of Christ’s second coming. This is complete salvation. This is “redemption” for which true Christians are bid to look and long.
Faith is the only thing required in order that you and I may have our sins forgiven. By faith we come to Jesus as sinners with our sins, - trust in Him, - rest on Him, - lean on Him, - confide on Him, - commit our souls to Him, - and forsaking all other hope, cleave only to Him,- this is all and everything that God ask for. Let a man only do this, and he shall be saved. His iniquities shall be found completely pardoned, an his transgressions – entirely taken away.
