Antidote to Fear

Where do you turn when fear arises in your heart? Do you turn to human philosophy, psychology, or pills? Or do you turn to the Christ of the Scriptures, who triumphed over death in our behalf? Not only unbelievers, but even believers sometimes try to deal with their fears with human solutions rather than through Christ who, by his atoning death, has set us free from all fears. Remember what Jesus said: “Let not your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.”

Sin Is the Cause of Fear

Isaiah 43 tells us how to handle fear. Let us examine its origin. The cause of fear and anxiety is human sin. In Isaiah 42:18-25 God speaks of the sinfulness of Israel. In verses 23-25 we read, “Which of you will listen to this or pay close attention in time to come? Who handed Jacob over to become loot, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned? For they would not follow his ways and they did not obey his law. So he poured out on them his burning anger; the violence of war enveloped them in flames. Yet they did not understand. It consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.”

Through the Babylonian exile God did pour out his anger upon his sinful people. The fire of God’s discipline enveloped them; yet, in spite of such terrible treatment, they did not learn to love God and walk in his ways. Thus, the forty-second chapter concludes saying that God’s discipline of his people was ineffectual.

Yet this word of judgment was not God’s last word to his covenant people, and it is not the last word to us either. In Isaiah 43:1 we read, “But now this is what the Lord says. . . .” “But now”! God is speaking something different, and I hope we will pay attention to it. What is the Lord saying? “Fear not!” We find these words twice in these seven verses. They are spoken from the heart of God to our hearts. God’s promises to Israel will not fail. In spite of their persistent disobedience, arrogance, and idolatry, God will save his people!

It is not the will of God that we fear, so God gives us reasons not to fear. Remember how, in Isaiah 7, God sent Isaiah to Ahaz when Ahaz was gripped by fear and told him not to fear (Isaiah 7:4). But Ahaz refused to believe in the word of God. In the same way, I have no guarantee that any of us will cease to fear. But those who believe in the word found in this passage will stop fearing.

In Isaiah 41:10 we read, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” In verse 13 of the same chapter we read, “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.'” So we have a choice: we can fear or we can rejoice. It is our choice. We must believe in the eternal, everlasting word of the Lord.

In Isaiah 44:2 we read, “This is what the Lord says-he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen.” In verse 8 of the same chapter we read, “Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago. . . .” It is not the will of God for his people to be anxious and worried. How can you tell the world, “Don’t be afraid,” when you yourself are fearful?

Antidote to Fear

Let us, then, look at various reasons the Lord has against fear.

1. God Is Our Creator

In Isaiah 43:1 we read, “he who created you.” Isaiah uses the language of Genesis 1, but he is speaking about the new creation of a holy, covenant people, the people of Israel. The Hebrew word barah means he created us out of nothing. God took the initiative, though there was no divine necessity. We are his new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Ephesians 2 speaks about this great work of God. In verse 3 we read, “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of divine wrath.” Then notice the same use of the adversative that we find in Isaiah 43:1: “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. . . .” (verses 4-6). This is re-creation by effectual call. What is the purpose of this divine salvation? Paul writes in verse 10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

If God recreated us, he did so for a purpose, which he will accomplish. His purpose is not to destroy us, but to defend and prosper us.

2. God Formed Us

The next reason is also found in Isaiah 43:1, where we read, “he who formed you, O Israel. . . .” Again, this is the language of Genesis, but the word Isaiah uses is yatsar, “to form,” which describes the work of a potter with clay. More intimate than barah, which is the general term for “create,” yatsar speaks of the personal involvement of the creator. God himself is fashioning us to be vessels of honor.

If God is forming us, then we know he will never abandon or let any harm come to us. He has a good plan for us, a plan to prosper and not to harm (Jeremiah 29:11).

3. God Has Redeemed Us

Then God says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you.” The Hebrew word is ga’al, to redeem, from which we have go’el, redeemer. The book of Ruth particularly speaks about this idea of a family member who is also a redeemer. We are Ruth and God is our Boaz. Because of sin, we became miserable slaves. But we have a kinsman-redeemer in our family who is able, ready, and willing to buy us back.

But this redemption comes at a very high price. In fact, the work of redemption is greater than the work of original creation. In Genesis we read that God created everything by fiat. He said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. But redemption of sinful human beings was not that easy. God had to send his own Son to be incarnate and die for our salvation.

By his incarnation Jesus Christ became our close relative. He came, not to be served but to serve and to give his own life a ransom for us. Remember, Isaac asked his father Abraham the question, “Where is the lamb for sacrifice?” and Abraham replied, “Jehovah Jireh.” Almost two thousand years later John the Baptist declared, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

This Redeemer, Jesus Christ, paid the highest price for our redemption because he loved us so much. So Peter says, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” We must conclude that if he so redeemed us, he will not reject us. That is why we need not fear.

4. God Called Us by Name

The next reason is also found in verse 1: “I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Our name was Jacob, which means a deceiver or a cheat. But here God calls us Israel, the name of the redeemed people of God. Additionally, in verse 7 we are called by God’s own name. When God regenerated us, he gave us a new name, reflecting our new life, nature,and relationship.

If God called us by name and by his name, it means we belong to him. Thus, he will see that we prosper, not perish, so that his name is not profaned among the nations. We must not fear because we are not our own; we belong to Jesus. We may ask why only certain people are saved; I do not know the answer to that question. Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us the secret things belong to God, and the things that are revealed are for us and for our children, that we should obey them. So instead of trying to pry into the mind of God, we need to be humble as sinners saved by grace, and enjoy and declare this great salvation so that more people can come to know Christ.

How glad I am to be a Christian! Once the devil said I was his. But then there came Jesus Christ, the great and mighty Savior, who delivered us from his control. He says, “You are mine.” How can I fear?

5. God Himself Will Help Us

The next reason we need not fear is that the one speaking to us is the Lord, Yahweh. So in verses 3 and 15 we read, “For I am the LORD.” Who is this Lord? The self-existing, eternal, self-sufficient God, who keeps covenant even when we do not. He is the Lord of the covenant who fights with his upright, mighty right hand against all Pharaohs, Amalekites, Canaanites, Assyrians, Babylonians, and all other kings, to deliver us. His job is to defeat every enemy and save his people.

Additionally, he is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides. He is Jehovah Rophekah, the Lord who heals us. He is Jehovah Nissi, God our banner and victory. He is Jehovah Shalom, God our peace. In the midst of all conflicts, we experience peace. The peace of God that passes all human understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. He is Jehovah Shammah, the Lord who is there. When everybody else abandons us, he will be there. He is Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord our righteousness. The Lord has freely given us his divine, unimpeachable righteousness. And finally, he is the Lord our shepherd. He is taking care of us and we shall lack nothing. Will this Lord just abandon us? He will not do it.” He is our Lord; therefore, do not be afraid. This Jehovah is Jesus.

6. He Is Our God

In verse 3 we also read, “I am . . . your God.” All other religions worship idols, but we worship the true and living God.

Notice, Isaiah says, “your God.” That is covenant language: “I will be your God and you will be my people.” If God is for us, who can be against us?

7. He Is the Holy One of Israel

In verses 3 and 15 we also read that he is the Holy One of Israel. You may ask, “But how can a holy God be associated with sinful people?” Isaiah himself said, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips.” Because the God of Israel is holy, we are also to be holy. But we are by nature sinners, unclean and under his judgment. How, then, can we make ourselves holy? It is impossible.

The solution is that the Holy One of Israel himself must make us holy. During his earthly ministry, Jesus asked the question, “Is there anything impossible for God?” Because the Holy One of Israel is committed to us, he is going to make us holy.

In Isaiah 6, where God revealed himself as the Holy One, the seraphs cried, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory,” and immediately Isaiah understood his sinfulness. Yet there was a solution: A live coal was taken from the altar, put to his lips, and he was told, “Your guilt is taken away.” Christ’s atonement is sufficient to remove the guilt of our sins. Paul says God presented Jesus Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in him. PGM This is good news: Everyone who trusts in Jesus is made clean and called a saint. Such a person need not fear.

How easily we forget our own sins! I myself do not know the sin I committed yesterday. But God knows all the sin I ever committed, yet he committed himself to save me and clean me up. He has done so in Jesus Christ; therefore, we need not worry that one day he is going to throw us out because of some sin issue. God the Holy One embraces and loves us freely, having cleaned us up by his power.

8. God Is Our Savior

Not only do we read that the Lord is our God, the Holy One of Israel, but in verses 3 and 11 we also read that he is our Savior. According to the Bible, a savior is one who steps in to help when we are drowning, or burning, and cannot save ourselves. This word comes from the word yasha in Hebrew, which means “to save.” That is the word behind the name of Jesus, as we read in “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

In Romans 5 Paul says this Jesus loved us, not when we were nice, but when we were powerless, ungodly, sinners, and enemies of God. But then Paul makes this amazing statement: At just at the right time, Christ died for us. Jesus Christ is our Savior. He stepped into our troubled waters and into our flames to save us. He died, but we are saved. And having saved us, he is not going to throw us back into the waters and flames. He does not just make salvation possible and then say it is now up to us. If that were the case, no one would be saved. He saves us. He jumped into the waters, lifted us up, placed us on a solid rock, and gave us a song in our mouth. So we need not fear.

9. We Are Precious to God

In Isaiah 43:4 we find an interesting phrase: “Since you are precious. . . .” We are nothing in ourselves. In fact, if anything, we are sinful, wicked, crazy, and unclean. But in the eyes of our Lover, we are precious, and that is all that matters. In his eyes, each of us is like an extremely rare jewel. That is the idea we find in the Hebrew.

Why doesn’t a stone have any value? Because it is not rare. Stones can be found everywhere. But we are like extremely rare jewels that sparkle in his sight. Elsewhere Israel is described as the apple of God’s eye and God’s inheritance. In Ephesians 1:18 and following Paul speaks of the hope to which God called us, “the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,” and Peter says we are people of God’s own possession. Paul also says we are the bride of Christ, whom Christ loved and for whom he gave himself up. In Matthew 13:43 Jesus said that when he returns, we shall shine like the sun.

Do you think he will take that which is precious and cast it off? Precious things are for safekeeping. Therefore, we need not fear.

10. We Are Honored

In verse 4 we also read that we are honored in his sight. The Hebrew word is chabod, which means glory, weighty. We had no glory, no weight, and no self-worth. We were like chaff, which the wind blows away. But God chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Let the world despise us: in God’s sight, we are precious and glorious. Every day we are becoming more precious and glorious, and one day we shall shine as the sun. What a destiny!

So, fear not, precious ones; fear not, honored ones; for you are honored and precious to God.

11. God Loves Us

We find another reason in verse 4. There God says, “and because I love you. . . .” The heavenly Father is saying to each one of us, “I love you.” The eternal Son is speaking to each one, “I love you.” The Holy Spirit, who is dwelling in us, is speaking to us: “I love you.” God loved us from all eternity, he loves us now, and he will love us forever. The text says, “I love you,” not “I loved you.” God loves us even when we stray and sin and grieve the Holy Spirit.

God loved us and gave his Son for the death of the cross. Christ loved us and gave himself for us. The Spirit loves us and applies Christ’s redemption to each elect, repenting soul. It does not matter whether the world or even the church loves us. What matters in our daily life is whether God loves us, and he says he does. His love is constant and knows no change. No human being can love like that.

If God loves us, he will keep us from falling. Therefore, fear not! From eternity to eternity, God loves us, and so the Bible uses the expression, “His love is everlasting.” He is the one who said he hates divorce; if that is true, we may conclude that he will love us forever.

12. God Is with Us

In verses 2 and 5 God says, “I am with you.” Here he is guaranteeing his presence with us. God is transcendent, but he is also Immanuel, God-with-us. He is immanent, which means he is present with us. The ascended Christ poured out the Holy Spirit on us to be with us forever. God the Holy Spirit shall never leave us nor forsake us.

Psalm 41 recounts how the psalmist was abandoned, despised, and maligned. In 2 Timothy Paul tells how all left him. But the Lord was with him and strengthened him to endure trials. He is the one constant friend we can count on. There is no more intimate relationship in this world than that of a mother and child, yet a mother may forsake the child on her breast, and many mothers are forsaking their children through abortion. But our God will never abort us-never!

In Isaiah 43:2 we read, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames shall not set you ablaze.” What is the reason we will be kept through all these trials? The immanence of God: “I will be with you.”

The truth is, we all must experience trials. Jesus himself promised, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The flood destroyed the Egyptians, but God saved his people. The fire destroyed Sodom, but God saved his people. God shall be with us in our floods, in our rivers, and in our flames. Count on it. Our husbands may not be there, our children may not be there, our wives may not be there, our nice friends may not be there, but God will be there.

He will be with us, not to set us on fire, but to save us from it. He was with his people in the fiery furnace in Babylon. He was with Joseph in Egypt. He was with Daniel in the lions’ den. He was with Paul in the Roman prison and later when the soldier cut off his head.

In 2 Timothy 4:16-17 Paul writes, “At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. . . . But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength.” No flood, no fire, no trial can ever separate us from our God and Christ. In fact, if we are people of God, trials can only push us ever closer to our Christ. So Paul says, “We also rejoice in our sufferings . . . . For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 5:3; 8:38-39).

Brothers-honored ones, precious ones-count on God’s constant, sustaining, exhilarating presence, and fear not! Spurgeon once said, “The path of sorrow, and that path alone, leads to the land where sorrow is unknown.” Then he also said, “God has had one Son without sin, but he has no son without suffering.” If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him.

Fear Not!

If you are fearful and anxious, the Lord is speaking to you today: Fear not. I urge you to receive the reasoning of God and live a life without fear. May God help us all to believe in his word and enter into his rest-the rest of peace and joy. Amen.