God is constantly reminding us in scripture that we are His, and we are not to fear the world. The only fear we should hold is the respectful fear of the Lord. Here are his exhortations and encouragements to us on fear:
Romans 8:15
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
Psalm 145:19
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.
Psalm 118:6
The Lord is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me?
Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?
Job 4:6
Is not your fear of God your confidence and the integrity of your ways your hope?
Matthew 10:28
Do not fear 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.
1 John 4:18-19
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
We love, because He first loved us.
Exodus 1:17, 20
But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty.
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
Deuteronomy 6:13
You shall fear only the Lord your God;
And you shall worship and swear by his name.
Deuteronomy 10:20
You shall fear the Lord your God;
You shall serve Him and cling to Him and you shall swear by His name.
Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear for I am with you.
Do not anxiously look about, you for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Luke 4:8
It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”
Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:27-28
Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.
ALL THESE ARE COMMANDMENTS
How then do we begin to fear God?
- Enter His presence and worship Him
Isaiah 6:1-8:
“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train[a] of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
Philippians 2:1-11
“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
The loving servant Christ that serves in Philippians 2 is the same Majestic God that we see being worshiped on high in Isaiah. Let us not loose sight of the majesty and power of God shown to us in the Old Testament as we commune with Jesus who walked among us.
- Obey Him
John 14:21, 23-24, 26
He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.
If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.
He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
- Repeat all day, every day and live the abundant life He died to give you
Romans 8:15-17
“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out …
Abba! Father!
The Spirit Himself testifies with out spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
- Remember God’s promises to those who love him
Psalm 91
My Refuge and My Fortress
91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
