The phrase, “Fear not!” is found 33 times in the ESV Bible. When fear is so prevalent in today’s world it would help us to understand why God in His word tells us not to be afraid. Let’s see in the Bible the reasons why believers do not need to be afraid as they live for God in His world.
1]. “Fear Not, For I Am With You!” The Lord Promises To Be With His People At All Times
Gen 26:24 And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.”
Isa 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isa 41:13 For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
Isa 43:5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.
Jer 46:28 Fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the LORD, for I am with you. I will make a full end of all the nations to which I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”
Hag 2:5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.
In all these verses we note that the Lord wants to be with His people in all situations. While they continue to trust Him, they have no need to fear. However that does not mean that they are exempt from His chastisement. As God spoke through the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews, “Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:9-11.
Even when God has to chastise His people, [and He will for none of us live perfect lives] it is for their good, that they might share the holiness of God. The end result is that they might enjoy “the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” God chastises His people in His love, not in anger. He wants the very best for His people.
2]. “Fear Not!” The Lord Promises To Redeem, Save And Protect His People
Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”
Isa 41:14 Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
Isa 43:1 But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
Jer 30:10 “Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the LORD, nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid.
Jer 46:27 “But fear not, O Jacob my servant, nor be dismayed, O Israel, for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid.
The Lord is not only the Creator of His people, He is also the One who redeems them and protects them as they live for Him. We see the privilege of belonging to the Lord as His people in the words in Isaiah 43:1 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” We know we have a great responsibility to live lives that bring glory to Christ, but we often overlook the privilege we have in being called by His name as Christians, those who belong to Christ. We belong to Him not because we chose Him to be our Saviour and Lord but because Christ took the initiative and chose us to be His, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” John 15:16
In 1Peter 2:9 we see both our privilege and our responsibility as Christ’s chosen ones being entwined in the same verse, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” We have the privilege of belonging to Him by His initiative and grace, and our responsibility is to live for Him by proclaiming His excellencies. “Called” reminds us of our being called out of the world to belong to Him. Indeed that is the meaning of the word “church” which in the Greek is “ekklesia” or the “called out ones.”[From ek meaning out of and klesia a calling.]
3]. “Fear Not!” The Lord Promises To Hear The Cries Of His People
Gen 21:17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.
Dan 10:12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.
God’s ears are always open to hear the cries of His children. John asserted that in the twofold confidence he expressed in 1 John 5:14-15, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” The double confidence that God hears prayers uttered in accord with His will, and the confidence that such prayers will be answered.
4]. “Fear Not!” The Lord Promises To Be With His People As He Sets Them Free From Their Enemies
Exo 14:13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.
God spoke these words through Moses when the Israelites were facing an impossible situation. A sea lay before them and the Egyptian army was closing on them. There was no way of escape. But God told them not to be afraid. He was going to save them, so there was no need for them to be fearful. The Egyptian army would be totally destroyed. God would prove to be their Saviour.
5]. “Fear Not!” The Lord Wants His People To Be Strong So As Not To Be Afraid
1Ch 22:13 Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the LORD commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed.
Isa 35:4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”
Isa 40:9 Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
Dan 10:19 And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
Zep 3:16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.
Zec 8:13 And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.”
In these verses we see the need for God’s people to be strong and also the promise that God will strengthen those who trust in Him. Daniel experienced both these things as he determined to be strong and in the process found that he was strengthened by God, ‘And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”’ Daniel10:19.
6]. “Fear Not!” The Lord has formed and chosen His people to be His forever
Isa 44:2 Thus says the LORD who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
Isa 44:8 Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.”
Mat 10:31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Luk 12:7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Luk 12:32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Rev 1:17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last.
As we saw in 2] above, God has chosen believers to belong to Him. He created them, and they are precious to him. In His intimate knowledge of them and care for them, He knows even the number of hairs on their head. They are very precious to Him. He wants them to know and experience the benefits of His kingdom. He was there at the beginning and He will be there at the end, for He is eternal. They will never be a time when He is not available to help His people.
7]. ”Fear Not!” There Is No Need To Fear Our Fellow Humans
Isa 51:7 “Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings.” In The Life Application Notes we read these encouraging words on this verse, “We need not fear when people insult us for our faith because God is with us and truth will prevail. If people make fun of you or dislike you because you believe in God, remember that they are not against you personally but against God. God will deal with them; you should concentrate on loving and obeying him.” As St Paul wrote in Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” We need to be concerned with how He sees us and not worry about others may think of us.
8]. “Fear Not!” The Lord Will Make Life Better For You In The Future
Isa 54:4 “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
Zec 8:15 so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not.
Luk 2:10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Joh 12:15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
St Paul wrote, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.“ Romans 8:28. It is true that God desires to keep blessing His people. He can deal with the negative things of our past so that they no longer affect us and He works all things for good for those who continue to love Him.
9]. “Fear Not!” Even Non-Human Nature Has No Need To Fear
Joe 2:21 “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things!
Joe 2:22 Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield.
The promise of the Lord through Jonah to His people was also a promise to God’s blessing on the land so it would become fertile and upon the beasts who would have plenty to eat. When God’s people walk in humble obedience, His blessing remains on them and on their environment.
Summing up
These 33 occurrences of the words “Fear not!” indicate that it is unnecessary for believers to fear their future. God chose them before the foundation of the world to belong to Him and promises to be with them in every situation throughout their lives. He is sovereign in His world and He does continue to work all things for good for those who love Him.
John writes that “perfect love casts out fear.” It is the responsibility of every believer to love God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength. This is a grateful response to His sovereign grace, love and power. Whenever fear comes into our lives, it is an indication that we have not yet been perfected in love, 1John 4:18 “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” But how can that sort of love be perfected in us? John gives us the answer, 1Jn 4:11 “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.”
As we abide in Christ, God is able to pour His perfect love into our hearts. His perfect agape love in us allows fears to dissipate as we look at others with the love of God. We see them as potential candidates to come into the kingdom of God and not simply as enemies who will never change.
We need to be strengthened as we look at God’s promises in His word and act on them. Or in the words of St Paul which keep reverberating in my mind, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13. We have to work out in practice what God is working inwardly in our hearts.
Praise God that by working in us, He gives us both the willingness and the ability to do what pleases Him. And that includes trusting Him in all circumstances and not allowing fear to control our beings.
Blog No.478 posted on Monday 03 July 2023.
holbeck 
487. “Fear Not!” Why Believers Have No Need To Fear
The phrase, “Fear not!” is found 33 times in the ESV Bible. When fear is so prevalent in today’s world it would help us to understand why God in His word tells us not to be afraid. Let’s see in the Bible the reasons why believers do not need to be afraid as they live for God in His world.
1]. “Fear Not, For I Am With You!” The Lord Promises To Be With His People At All Times
Gen 26:24 And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.”
Isa 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isa 41:13 For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
Isa 43:5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.
Jer 46:28 Fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the LORD, for I am with you. I will make a full end of all the nations to which I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”
Hag 2:5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.
In all these verses we note that the Lord wants to be with His people in all situations. While they continue to trust Him, they have no need to fear. However that does not mean that they are exempt from His chastisement. As God spoke through the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews, “Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:9-11.
Even when God has to chastise His people, [and He will for none of us live perfect lives] it is for their good, that they might share the holiness of God. The end result is that they might enjoy “the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” God chastises His people in His love, not in anger. He wants the very best for His people.
2]. “Fear Not!” The Lord Promises To Redeem, Save And Protect His People
Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”
Isa 41:14 Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
Isa 43:1 But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
Jer 30:10 “Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the LORD, nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid.
Jer 46:27 “But fear not, O Jacob my servant, nor be dismayed, O Israel, for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid.
The Lord is not only the Creator of His people, He is also the One who redeems them and protects them as they live for Him. We see the privilege of belonging to the Lord as His people in the words in Isaiah 43:1 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” We know we have a great responsibility to live lives that bring glory to Christ, but we often overlook the privilege we have in being called by His name as Christians, those who belong to Christ. We belong to Him not because we chose Him to be our Saviour and Lord but because Christ took the initiative and chose us to be His, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” John 15:16
In 1Peter 2:9 we see both our privilege and our responsibility as Christ’s chosen ones being entwined in the same verse, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” We have the privilege of belonging to Him by His initiative and grace, and our responsibility is to live for Him by proclaiming His excellencies. “Called” reminds us of our being called out of the world to belong to Him. Indeed that is the meaning of the word “church” which in the Greek is “ekklesia” or the “called out ones.”[From ek meaning out of and klesia a calling.]
3]. “Fear Not!” The Lord Promises To Hear The Cries Of His People
Gen 21:17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.
Dan 10:12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.
God’s ears are always open to hear the cries of His children. John asserted that in the twofold confidence he expressed in 1 John 5:14-15, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” The double confidence that God hears prayers uttered in accord with His will, and the confidence that such prayers will be answered.
4]. “Fear Not!” The Lord Promises To Be With His People As He Sets Them Free From Their Enemies
Exo 14:13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.
God spoke these words through Moses when the Israelites were facing an impossible situation. A sea lay before them and the Egyptian army was closing on them. There was no way of escape. But God told them not to be afraid. He was going to save them, so there was no need for them to be fearful. The Egyptian army would be totally destroyed. God would prove to be their Saviour.
5]. “Fear Not!” The Lord Wants His People To Be Strong So As Not To Be Afraid
1Ch 22:13 Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the LORD commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed.
Isa 35:4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”
Isa 40:9 Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
Dan 10:19 And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
Zep 3:16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.
Zec 8:13 And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.”
In these verses we see the need for God’s people to be strong and also the promise that God will strengthen those who trust in Him. Daniel experienced both these things as he determined to be strong and in the process found that he was strengthened by God, ‘And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”’ Daniel10:19.
6]. “Fear Not!” The Lord has formed and chosen His people to be His forever
Isa 44:2 Thus says the LORD who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
Isa 44:8 Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.”
Mat 10:31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Luk 12:7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Luk 12:32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Rev 1:17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last.
As we saw in 2] above, God has chosen believers to belong to Him. He created them, and they are precious to him. In His intimate knowledge of them and care for them, He knows even the number of hairs on their head. They are very precious to Him. He wants them to know and experience the benefits of His kingdom. He was there at the beginning and He will be there at the end, for He is eternal. They will never be a time when He is not available to help His people.
7]. ”Fear Not!” There Is No Need To Fear Our Fellow Humans
Isa 51:7 “Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings.” In The Life Application Notes we read these encouraging words on this verse, “We need not fear when people insult us for our faith because God is with us and truth will prevail. If people make fun of you or dislike you because you believe in God, remember that they are not against you personally but against God. God will deal with them; you should concentrate on loving and obeying him.” As St Paul wrote in Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” We need to be concerned with how He sees us and not worry about others may think of us.
8]. “Fear Not!” The Lord Will Make Life Better For You In The Future
Isa 54:4 “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
Zec 8:15 so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not.
Luk 2:10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Joh 12:15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
St Paul wrote, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.“ Romans 8:28. It is true that God desires to keep blessing His people. He can deal with the negative things of our past so that they no longer affect us and He works all things for good for those who continue to love Him.
9]. “Fear Not!” Even Non-Human Nature Has No Need To Fear
Joe 2:21 “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things!
Joe 2:22 Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield.
The promise of the Lord through Jonah to His people was also a promise to God’s blessing on the land so it would become fertile and upon the beasts who would have plenty to eat. When God’s people walk in humble obedience, His blessing remains on them and on their environment.
Summing up
These 33 occurrences of the words “Fear not!” indicate that it is unnecessary for believers to fear their future. God chose them before the foundation of the world to belong to Him and promises to be with them in every situation throughout their lives. He is sovereign in His world and He does continue to work all things for good for those who love Him.
John writes that “perfect love casts out fear.” It is the responsibility of every believer to love God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength. This is a grateful response to His sovereign grace, love and power. Whenever fear comes into our lives, it is an indication that we have not yet been perfected in love, 1John 4:18 “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” But how can that sort of love be perfected in us? John gives us the answer, 1Jn 4:11 “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.”
As we abide in Christ, God is able to pour His perfect love into our hearts. His perfect agape love in us allows fears to dissipate as we look at others with the love of God. We see them as potential candidates to come into the kingdom of God and not simply as enemies who will never change.
We need to be strengthened as we look at God’s promises in His word and act on them. Or in the words of St Paul which keep reverberating in my mind, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13. We have to work out in practice what God is working inwardly in our hearts.
Praise God that by working in us, He gives us both the willingness and the ability to do what pleases Him. And that includes trusting Him in all circumstances and not allowing fear to control our beings.
Blog No.478 posted on Monday 03 July 2023.
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About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.