On This Day: To Fear the One Who Calms Our Fears

   “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:4-7)

   I can still recall the before-and-after of John Newton’s words,

“'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace, my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.”

In my early years, this didn’t make sense. How could God’s “Amazing Grace” teach me to fear and relieve my fears at the same time?

   At some point, I came to understand the difference. God’s grace taught me to fear God in the reverent-love kind of way, while that same grace calmed my fears about being too unlovable for him to bother with me. 

   I do wonder if today’s text was in Newton’s mind as he wrote that stanza of his song. At the very least, what Jesus said in this passage is what John Newton was trying to express. And it is something that we must learn for ourselves to have a genuine sense of peace with God.

   If we replay the scenes of Scripture where people are told some expression of “Fear not!” or “Do not be afraid!”, we will find that these expressions often followed someone feeling afraid of God or his messengers. 

   One of the most familiar is when an angel appeared to some shepherds to announce the Savior’s birth. When “an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them… they were filled with great fear.” 

   However, “the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’” (Luke 2:9-11). 

   This shows how one angel from the presence of God first brought the men to a state of fear of such awesome glory, but because of that same glory the angel could urge the men to “fear not” because the Almighty God of eternity was now sending his Son into the world as our Savior from sin. 

   After Jesus had secured our salvation through his death on the cross, we see another scene where a fear-reaction for some is a fear-calming encounter for others. Matthew writes that “an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.” The angel’s sudden appearance was terrifying to the guards who had never trusted in Jesus as the Savior.

   However, “the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you’” (Matthew 28:2-7).

   Again, the same angel that caused such a debilitating fear because of his expression of God’s glory was the source of a fear-calming announcement of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, the most joyful thing those grief-stricken women could ever have heard.

   Today, I realized this is another one of those “replacement policy” scenarios with God. He tells us to “not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). We don’t stop thinking of the scenarios that are freaking us out, but we bring those very concerns to God in prayer so that we feel his peace instead of our turmoil.

   In the same way, we don’t focus on the negative of trying to not be afraid of scary people. Instead, we focus on fearing God for real so that all our other fears are put to rest. It may be another one of those “simple but not easy” facets of “the obedience of faith”, but it is the will of God for us to relate to him like that.

   Today, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). And that includes seeking to know the grace that calms our fears in the fear and reverence of our loving heavenly Father. 

© 2025 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8

Email: in2freedom@gmail.com 

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.)