It’s easy to say, “Do not be afraid.” The list of things to be afraid of is endless, and fear is among our earliest experiences, even in infancy. If not managed properly, this emotion can dominate one’s life. Fear, however, does have a positive component, which I addressed in an earlier blog.
The Cambridge dictionary defines “fear” as an “unpleasant emotion or thought that you have when you are frightened or worried by something dangerous, painful, or bad that is happening or might happen.” We don’t really need to have the word defined for us because every human being has experienced this emotion countless times, in countless situations.
The world is a very dangerous place, and we all do the best we can to navigate its perils. Primarily, we strive to avoid fear by taking preemptive measures. We endeavor to live a healthy life in a variety of ways and try to minimize dangers. Nevertheless, despite our best efforts, one fear or another invades our peace and security.
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”
People everywhere are in counseling for their fear or are pursuing other means to deal with it. The word “fear” appears nearly 300 times in the Bible. It is found in 51 of the 55 books that comprise the Scriptures. It’s found 54 times in the book of Psalms.
Fear prompts us to wear a seatbelt when we drive. It motivates us to buy health insurance and have regular dental checkups. There are thousands of other precautions we take because of fear. There are some people that like skydiving, bungee jumping, scuba diving, mountain climbing, and other dangerous activities. Most of us reject these dangerous thrills because of fear, especially as we advance in age.
According to the Bible, God wants us to be afraid in some situations and unafraid at other times. Such an example is found in Matthew 10:28, where the Lord Jesus states: “And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Trust in God and Do Not Be Afraid
In the case of a person who is saved by the Lord Jesus, there’s no need to fear Satan or any other being seeking to kill them. The soul of a saved person cannot be destroyed because the Lord Jesus has given them eternal life (John 3:16).
However, the unsaved person has much to fear from God. He is the One who is able to destroy soul and body in hell. The believer in Christ has nothing to fear regarding death. Paul was confident in life and death: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)
Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a bit perplexed when the angel Gabriel appeared to her with the greeting, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” She would be more than perplexed when he told her she was to conceive a child. However, before he announced the 2nd news flash, he said, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”
When an individual finds favor with God, fear will diminish. This begs the question; How does one find favor with God? In Luke 8, the Lord Jesus was informed that a synagogue official’s 12-year-old daughter had died. The Lord responded to the official with these words, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” In a few moments, the Lord would take the young girl’s hand and say, “Child, arise.” We’re told that she got up immediately. What joy must have flooded the official’s heart when his little girl was handed back to him alive and well.
Saved by Works or Grace?
We can only win God’s favor when we completely trust (believe) in His word. We don’t win His favor through self-effort or good works. The Lord Jesus did not ask the synagogue official to do good works in order to resurrect his daughter. He simply asked the father to believe.
In what way can we win God’s favor for salvation? Man thinks he can accomplish this by living a holy life, doing works, and obtaining self-righteousness. He or she aspires to gain God’s favor via merit. However, here’s how Paul framed salvation: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8&9)
Mary did not obtain this incredible privilege of bearing the Messiah through her good works. It was only by God’s kindness to her and her trusting the word of God, sent by Gabriel.
Apostolic Teaching
If you’re not convinced yet, consider the case of the Philippian jailer in Acts 16. He was about to kill himself when he realized that his prisoners, including Paul and Silas, had escaped. However, Paul stopped him by announcing that no one had escaped.
The jailer was so overcome by the incident that he asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved.” Paul and Silas answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household. And they spoke the word of God to him together with all who were in his house.”
Salvation is only possible by belief in the Lord Jesus, based on the words of Scripture. The jailer’s life was saved when Paul and the other prisoners did not escape. In addition, he escaped the 2nd death through faith in Jesus.
Do Not Be Afraid – Learn the Gospel Message
Every person on earth has the choice to be saved or not. Salvation is to trust in God that His Son (Jesus):
- Came down to this earth in human form
- Lived a holy and sinless life
- Went to the cross bearing your sins
- Received the full punishment of God for your sins.
According to 1Peter 2:24, the Lord Jesus became your substitute: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” Those that ignore, disbelieve, or reject God’s word regarding salvation will die in their sins. They will bear the full wrath of God in hell for all eternity.
The Penalty of Sin
You can take life’s most significant preemptive measure. Just trust (believe) that the Lord Jesus paid the penalty for your sins. In doing so, you will enjoy a loving and joyous relationship with God free from fear. If not, these words become your reality: “but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18)
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