When sin entered the world it was accompanied by an uninvited guest … FEAR. Yet, the Bible tells us over 450 times, “fear not” or similar words. Find out the two root causes of fear and learn to overcome it biblically in your own life.
Handling Fear & Worry Biblically Part 2
We’re in a series on “Handling Emotions Biblically.” We’ve covered anger and depression. Last week we started talking about fear and worry. If you missed any of them, just click on the link.
Fear & Worry
Last week I said that some sins are so common they’ve almost become acceptable, even among believers in Christ. Though we may spin them with words like concerned, disturbed, or troubled, fear and worry fall into that category. Last week we focused on worry, how it comes from a divided mind, that it has sinful roots, and how it’s a form of idolatry. Today we’ll focus on fear.
Fear
The minute Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God, an uninvited guest called “fear” showed up, too. Genesis 3:
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
When Cain killed his brother Abel and was banished, he responded with self-pity and fear. Genesis 4:
13 And Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! 14 Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.”
We fear what God will do. We fear what people will do. We fear what people think of us. We fear someone taking advantage of us or not loving us. We fear being disrespected. We fear all over the place.
“Fear Not”
Yet, in His Word, God told us not to fear over 450 times.
He told a fearful mother:
17 … Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation” (Gen. 21.17-18).
He assured the nation of Israel of His help and deliverance by telling them to “fear not” (Is. 41.10, 13, 14). And in chapter 43 He said:
1 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
In Exodus 4 God reassured a fearful, insecure future leader:
1 Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’”
10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”
11 So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”
And when he persisted, God sent his brother Aaron with him (Ex. 4.13-17).
In the New Testament, Paul told a nervous young preacher named Timothy:
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Tim. 1.7).
2 Root Causes of Fear
Instead of addressing Adam’s fearful feelings in Genesis 3, God addressed the roots of sinful fear:
11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”
In that short verse, He summed up the two causes of fear: who we are listening to (11a) and sin (11b).
Yet, God does not intend for His people to live in fear.
Is All Fear Wrong?
The Bible mentions two kinds of fear. The fear of God and the fear of people, things, and circumstances.
The fear of God is not a cowering fear. It’s not the fear of a mean, retaliatory God. The fear of God is awe. It’s respect for the Creator of heaven and earth and proper respect for His anger and appropriate consequences for sin. It’s an acknowledgement of God for who He is. The fear of God drives out all other fears.
The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and leads to good understanding (Ps. 110.10). The fear of God results in peace, security and rest in His protection.
Fear of the Lord leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm (Prov. 19.23 NLT).
In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge (Prov. 14.26).
When we put our trust in God, we don’t need to be afraid of other people or what they can do to us.
In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me (Ps. 56.11)?
1 John 4.18 says, “There is no fear in love …” The New Living Translation says it this way:
18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
When we come to understand God and His love for us fully, when we understand His character, we can trust Him completely without fear.
Fear often prevents us from loving others as we’re commanded to do (Matt. 22.37-40). We fear their rejection. We fear being hurt, disappointed, or taken advantage of. We give fear a black eye when we trust God enough to step out in faith and love others as we should.
Proverbs 29.25 says:
The fear of man brings a snare,
But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.
“A Spirit of Fear”
But when we give in to wrong thinking as Timothy was tempted to do (2 Tim. 1.7) and we start to look around at the circumstances instead of keeping our eyes on God (Matt. 14.30), “a spirit of fear” can overtake us. This is the attitude or emotion of fear. This kind of fear is often irrational.
The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions (Prov. 28.1).
When this happens, we need to repent and get our eyes back on the Lord.
Remember what God said to Adam, “Who told you that you were naked?” In other words, what’s your source of truth? Who have you been listening to, Adam?
Who or what are we listening to when we give in to fear? Are we listening to the promises of God or another voice?
Fear of Judgment or Consequences
The second question God asked Adam was, “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Instead of admitting his sin, Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the devil and the result was God’s judgment.
If our fear is the result of sin, instead of blame-shifting or denying our guilt, we need to confess it to God and receive His forgiveness. If we’ve sinned against other people, we need to humble ourselves and ask for their forgiveness.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1.8-9).
23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift (Matt. 5.23-24).
So, if our fear stems from a guilty conscience or from our sinful thoughts, words or actions, the answer is confession and repentance.
The Antidote for Fear
So, the antidote for fear is to learn to:
Meditate on God and His Word. Study God’s character. Memorize verses about His love, goodness, faithfulness, and sovereignty.
Deal with sin and guilt biblically. Be quick to confess your sin to God and others.
Develop your love. Jesus said loving God is the greatest commandment and the second is like it, to love others as we love ourselves (Matt. 22.37-40). Later He said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (Jn. 14.15). Study 1 Corinthians 13.4-8a and ask God how you can love others the way Paul described.
Learn to view fearful situations as opportunities to grow and trust Him more (Rom. 8.28-29; 1 Cor. 10.13; 2 Tim. 1.7; Prov. 14.26, 19.23).
Verses to Memorize when Tempted to Fear:
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Tim. 1.7).
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love (1 Jn. 4.18).
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 may boldly say:
The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me? (Heb. 13.5-6)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction (Prov. 1.7).1 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you (Is. 43.1-2).The fear of man brings a snare,
But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe (Prov. 29.25).In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge (Prov. 14.26).The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions (Prov. 28.1).
You can click here to read the next post in the series on guilt. After that, we’ll look at trials and suffering.
Blessings,
Donna
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All the Posts in this Series:
On Anger:
Handling Anger Biblically Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
On Depression:
Handling Depression Biblically – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
On Fear, Worry & Anxiety:
Handling Fear & Worry Biblically: Acceptable Sins?, Part 2
On Guilt:
Handling Guilt Biblically Part 1, Part 2
On Responding to Tests & Trials:
Handling Tests & Trials Biblically: The Divine Squeeze, Part 2: Coming Forth as Gold
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