Sermon #45 Series: Isaiah

Title: I Will Trust, And Not Be Afraid

Text: Isaiah 12:2

Subject: Fear and Faith

Date: Sunday Evening - May 20, 1990

Tape #

Introduction:

Fear is a horrible thing to live with. Someone said, “Fear is the tax that conscience pays to guilt.” Fear destroys joy. Fear erodes pleasure. Fear forbids peace. Fear torments the heart. Fear is a horrible thing to live with. Yet, no man living in this world is entirely free from fear.

Sometimes preachers get carried away and say more than they mean. And sometimes they mean more than they understand. I heard a young upstart say, recently, that “fear and faith cannot exist together.” I have heard others say, “He who doubts is damned.” But that simply is not true. It is idealistic. If we believe God, we ought not be afraid. If we have faith we should be free of fear. But very often what we should be and what we are, what we should do and what we do, are two different things. David, the man after God’s own heart, a man of remarkable faith, wrote, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” (Ps. 56:3). His enemies oppressed him. Daily they sought his life. They were many. They were mighty. And they were united. And David was afraid. Yet, he was a true believer. He said, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” I offer no excuses for David’s sinful fear, nor for ours. I simply state it as a matter of fact that is undeniable. If a man says to me, “I have no fear,” I question either his sanity or his honesty.

Having said that, I want you to read with me the first two lines of Isaiah 12:2 - “Behold, God is my salvation: I will trust, and not be afraid.” I take these words for my subject tonight - I Will Trust And Not Be Afraid.”

I. THERE ARE FOUR GROUPS OF PEOPLE LISTENING TO ME TONIGHT.

I am certain that everyone here may be placed in one of four groups. I will not venture to guess who fits where, because I have no way of discerning the hearts of men. But as I speak you will know which group you are in.

A. Some of you have neither the faith nor the fear spoken of in our text.

You may fear many things. But you are without fear toward God. You are not fearful of God’s wrath. You are not fearful of judgment or eternal ruin, at least not now, though you have no faith. You think you are righteous and good upon your own merit, therefore you refuse to trust Christ. You do not want mercy. You do not want grace. You do not want a Substitute. You look yourself over, comparing yourself with others, and you say, “Behold, I am not as other men are; I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing!” Oh, poor, blind, deluded soul! How utterly ignorant you are!

· Of your Own Heart (Matt. 15:19).

· Of the Law of God (Rom. 3:19-20).

· Of the Righteousness of God (Rom. 10:1-4).

· Of the Gospel of God (Rom. 3:24-26).

B. Some of you have fear but no faith.

Though you may not use the words, you practically say, “I will be afraid and not trust.” You are sufficiently aware of your own sin and guilt, and of the holiness and justice of God, to make you afraid of his wrath. But you go no further. You do not

close with Christ. You do not trust him. I am afraid for you. I fear that you may begin to trust your fear and think that fear is salvation.

Illus: “I know that I am a lost sinner.”

Some people say, “Conviction is the doorstep to heaven.” And they may be right. But it would be a horrible thing to get to the doorstep of heaven and sit there until you wake up in hell! The doorstep is still outside! If you are on the doorstep, you have not entered in by the door, you are yet outside of Christ. If you are not saved, you are lost. If you are not alive, you are dead. If you are not washed, you are unclean. If you are not regenerate, you are unregenerate. There is no place in between. I urge you, do not be satisfied with fear - Seek faith - Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved - No do not seek faith - Believe!

C. There is a third class who have faith but cling to fear.

Some of you are true believers. You acknowledge your sin. You trust Christ as your only, all-sufficient Savior.

· You trust his Blood Atonement.

· You trust his Imputed Righteousness.

· You trust his Grace.

Yet, you live in constant fear. It may be that your fear keeps you from confessing Christ and keeps you from the ordinance of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. You are full of doubts. Your melancholy soul refuses peace. You seem determined to shut yourself out of comfort. When the sun shines brightly, you pull down the shades of doubt and despair. Such a disposition is not honoring to God.

1. It is right to doubt yourself.

2. But it is never right to doubt your Lord.

If indeed you believe God, it is time for you to be done with that which keeps you in the bondage of fear. This very night I urge you to confess, “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid.”

Note: There is a difference between faith and the

assurance of faith. But you must not be

content without the assurance of faith.

Illus: Two People On the Same Plane - One is

fearful, the other is confident. But both are

safe.

D. Then there are some who are blessed with the assurance of faith.

These are the men and women who can, with confidence and honesty declare, “Behold, God is my salvation: I will trust and not be afraid.”

1. The person who can truthfully make this confession is one who has felt something of the anger of God in his soul, who has known the terror of the law in his heart, and who knows what it is to made free (Rom. 8:1).

That person, who has never known the burden of sin will never know the joy of faith. He who has never known the fear and dread of God’s anger can never know the comfort of God’s anger turned away.

2. The person who can truthfully make this confession (v. 2) is one who enjoys the comfort of the Scriptures (Rom. 15:4).

· Covenant Mercy (I Sam. 23:5).

· Substitutionary Atonement (Isa. 53:9-10).

· Salvation by Grace (Eph. 2:8).

· Free Justification (Rom. 3:24).

· Forgiveness by the Blood (Eph. 1:6; I John 1:9).

3. The person who can truthfully say, “I will trust and not be afraid,” is the one whose heart declares, “Behold, God is my salvation!”

This is the basis of assurance - “God is my salvation.”

· God the Father is the Author of my salvation (II Tim. 1:9).

· God the Son is the Mediator of my salvation (Heb. 8:6).

· God the Spirit is the Agent of my salvation (Zech. 12:10; John 3:8).

· God in the Trinity of His Sacred Persons and in the Fullness of His Glorious Majesty, is my Salvation!

Is God your salvation? If he is you should say, “I will trust and not be afraid!”

Illus: Simeon - “I have seen thy Salvation!”

(Read: I Cor. 1:30-31; Rom. 8:28-31).

II. IF GOD IS MY SALVATION THERE ARE SOME THINGS I HAVE NO REASON TO FEAR.

I do not mean to suggest to you that I am free of fear. I am not. But my fear is my shame. I know that if God is my salvation I should be free of free. Obviously, I have not reason to fear…

· Satan.

· Men.

· The World.

But in the context, this statement is made in reference to the anger of God. The text means, “Behold, God is my salvation: I will trust and not be afraid of him.”

A. I will trust Christ and not be afraid (John 3:14-16).

B. Trusting Christ, I will not be afraid concerning all my past sins (Rom. 8:1; I John 1:9).

C. Trusting Christ, I will not be afraid even regarding my present corruption and sin (Rom. 4:8; I John 2:1-2).

D. Trusting Christ, I will not be afraid of my future sins (Ps. 89:31-34).

E. Trusting Christ, I will not be afraid of anything that concerns the welfare of my immortal soul.

Whatever my God may call me to do or to suffer for his name’s sake, I will trust and not be afraid.

1. He will supply all my needs (Matt. 6).

Illus: 100,000 Bushels of Manna every day for 40

years!

2. He will protect me in all my ways. (Matt. 10:30).

3. He will preserve me in his grace.

4. He will receive me in death.

III. WE WHO BELIEVE SHOULD EARNESTLY SEEK FROM GOD THIS CONFIDENT FAITH IN HIM.

You see, fear and faith are totally inconsistent with one another. Fear is unbelief. Faith is freedom from fear. To the extent that I trust God, I am free of fear. And to the extent that I am afraid, I am plagued with unbelief.

A. Fear is a shameful and detremental thing among God’s saints.

1. It dishonors God.

2. It robs you of joy - Keeps you from enjoying God’s mercies.

Illus: “I won’t have enough money to bury me.”

3. It multiplies rapidly.

· In yourself.

· In those around you.

4. It causes you to murmur against God.

(Read: Rom. 8:28; 11:36).

B. Faith in God is a blessed grace.

1. It pleases and honors God (Heb. 11:6).

2. It gives you peace (Phil. 4:4-7).

Illus: Paul on the ship.

3. It makes you strong for service.

Illus: The young sailor - “Look up!”

4. It will make you bold in the cause of Christ.

Illus: Peter and John - Acts 4.

5. It will encourage others to believe.

Application: Nothing is so needful and beneficial to our souls as faith in Christ.

1. It justifies the soul (Rom. 3:28; 5:1).

2. It saves (Lk. 7:50).

3. It brings upon us the blessings of God (Mk. 9:23; Lk. 17:5-6).

4. It reveals the glory of God (John 11:40).