There are different kinds of fear—and not all are bad. Children should be afraid of sharp knives and hot cooking surfaces in the kitchen because we don’t want little ones to get hurt. We should also be scared of poisonous snakes because they can cause serious injury or death. These fears are appropriate and a valuable part of our survival instinct.
However, there are many fears which are not normal and hurt us. They cast a dark shadow over our lives and prevent us from living the life God intended for us. These fears paralyze us—hindering our ability to retreat from danger or move forward on safe paths. God doesn’t want us to live in fear because He repeats it many times in His Word. “Fear not” and “do not fear” appear throughout the Old and New Testaments.
This is why the secret to conquering fear is found in the Bible. “Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:27). His Word says to have a healthy fear of the Lord.
- When you fear the Lord, you understand He created you and deserves authority over your life.
- When you have proper reverence for God, you draw close to Him instead of running away.
- When you genuinely know who God is, you’re not scared of him—you trust and love Him.
God wants to help you with your fears, but you have to look for Him. The Psalmist said, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).
Call on God and face your fears with Him. He wants to help you overcome fear.
Step 1 – God’s Purpose: Peace and Life
God loves you and wants you to experience peace and eternal life.
The Bible says:
“We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:1
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16
“I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
John 10:10
What keeps us from having the life God planned for us?
Step 2 – The Problem: Our Separation from God
The Bible says:
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23
Our choice to sin separates us from God. People have tried many ways to bridge this gap between themselves and God.
The Bible says:
“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”
Proverbs 14:12
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”
Isaiah 59:2
No bridge reaches God… except one.
Step 3 – God’s Bridge: The Cross
Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave. When He did He paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between us and God.
The Bible says:
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”
1 Timothy 2:5
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”
1 Peter 3:18
God has provided the only way back to Him. You must make a choice.
Step 4 – Our Response: Receive Christ
We must trust and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
The Bible says:
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
John 1:12
“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9
Which side are you on? The side with Christ or without Him?
Here is how you can accept Christ into your life:
- Admit your need. (I am a sinner)
- Be willing to turn from your sins. (Repent)
- Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave. (Be saved by faith)
- Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive him as Lord and Savior)
©2022 Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Used with permission. All rights reserved.