Okay, this evening then, we're
going to take a look at some of God's special gospel promises
found in Isaiah chapter 43. Isaiah chapter 43. Several times
in this chapter, in verse 1, He says, Fear not. You see that? Fear not. O Jacob, he that formed
thee, O Israel, fear not. Fear not. Again, He repeats that
in verse 5. Fear not. I am with thee, I'll
bring thy seed from the east, and I'll gather thee from the
west. So we could use as a title for the message, Fear Not. And
he gives us reasons, reasons why that believers should not
fear. In this chapter, we see several
gospel promises that he gives to us and reasons why believers
have no need to fear, no need to fear death, He put that away. He changed the character of death.
No need to fear judgment. Our sins have already been judged
in the Lord Jesus Christ. No need to fear facing our sin. He put that away. So, fear not. Here we have precious gospel
promises. Remember, Paul writes this, for
all the promises of God in him are yes. And in him, amen, unto
the glory of God by us. Remember we read recently, I
think, in Roman chapter four, where it said that Abraham was
fully persuaded that all that God promised, and man, he's promised
a whole lot, he's able to perform. All that he has promised, he's
able to perform. And then recently we studied
in 2 Peter, remember, that verse in 2 Peter 1, verse 4, whereby
are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by
these you might be partakers of the divine nature. We have exceeding great and precious
promises in the gospel. That's what we read about here.
This is the gospel according to Isaiah. Thus sayeth the Lord. The Lord is speaking to us. Now,
who are these promises of the gospel given unto? Well, it's
not to all men without exception, but unto those people chosen
of God and blessed of God. He mentioned in the text here,
thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob. You see that? And he that formed thee, O Israel. So it's addressed to the sons
of Jacob and the true Israel of God. Now, there was a nation
and there is a nation today called Israel. Everybody thinks that
God has special favors of that nation over there in Israel.
Not so anymore. They did under that old covenant,
God chose that nation and singled them out. But that's only a type
and picture of the true Israel of God. We are true Israel. We are the true sons of God.
We are true sons of Jacob. Jacob and Israel. These promises
of the gospel are given exclusively unto the Lord's covenant people,
not the natural descendants of Abraham or Jacob. That would
exclude us, wouldn't it? We're not natural sons of Abraham.
We are spiritually, but not naturally, we're Gentiles. We're Gentiles. But rather unto the true spiritual
sons of Abraham and the true spiritual son of Jacob, that
is God's elect. His covenant people, His covenant
children. Remember we studied in Luke 19. Remember the story of Zacchaeus?
And the Lord said, this day is salvation come to his house for
as much as he also is the son of Abraham. Now, there was a
whole bunch of Jews standing in that crowd that day, and most
of them were probably sons of Abraham, natural descendants,
but not like Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a spiritual son
of Abraham, a spiritual Jew. For the Son of Man is come to
seek and to save that which was lost. We were lost like Jacob,
cheap, supplanter. God loved Jacob, hated Esau. The reason for God loving Jacob
and hating Esau was not found in them. Jacob was not one whit
better than Esau, they were both sinners. The reason that God
loved Jacob was not found in him, found in God. God loved
whom he will. Remember this scripture in Romans
9, for they are not all Israel, which are of Israel, neither
because they are the seed of Abraham are they all the children,
but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, they which are
the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God,
but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. Believers
today are true sons of Abraham, spiritually so. Listen to this
scripture, Galatians 3. Know ye therefore that they which
are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. Remember
God promised Abraham that he have a seed. a family, a seed
that would be like the stars of heaven and the sand of the
sea. He's talking about God's elect,
talking about those for whom Christ died. And then in Galatians
3, 29, if you be Christ, then are you Abraham's seed and heirs
according to the promise. Paul, when he writes to the Philippians
in chapter 3, he's writing to a bunch of Gentiles, a bunch
of Gentile dogs. And he says, you are the true
Israel. Wait a minute, Paul, you're mistaken. No, he said, you're the true
Israel, which worship God in the spirit, that rejoice in Christ
Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. That's the true
Israel of God. Believers, believers of the gospel
of Christ, like Jacob, are sovereignly loved, chosen in Christ from
all eternity, and made new creatures in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jacob
have I loved. It says that twice in scripture.
Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. Again, I emphasize the
reason is not found in the man. The reason is found in God's
sovereign love. Sovereign love. We read in Genesis
32 how Jacob's name was changed from Jacob to Israel. What is
thy name, the Lord said. He said, and Jacob confessed. Now, the Lord doesn't ask a question
for information. He knew his name was Jacob. But
the Lord said, what is thy name? To get Jacob to confess, he said,
I'm Jacob. Oh, supplanter, cheat, Jacob. And he said, thy name shall no
more be called Jacob, but Israel. He took that supplanter, that
sinner, and made him a prince of God, a son of God. For as a prince hast thou power
with God and with men, and hast prevailed. God changed Jacob's
name to Israel, and God hath changed our name from Jacob to
Israel. Did you know that? We read in
the Revelation, you remember our study in the Revelation?
where it said unto him who loved us and washed us from our sin
and his own blood and made us kings and priests unto our God.
Priests is just like Jacob. He made us new creatures in Christ.
Notice carefully that these covenant people are the Lord's creation. You see that in verse one. Thus
saith the Lord that created thee. Again, look at verse seven. Everyone
that is called by my name, for I have created him for my glory. I have formed him, I have made
him. We are what we are by the grace
of God. Jacob had absolutely, how much
did Jacob influence God to do this? The choosing? to make Him a new creature, to
change His name. Jacob had nothing to do with
that. It was all of God's salvation to the Lord, is it not? He formed
us, He made us, He created us. We are what we are by the grace
of God. The grace of God. You remember
from our study in Psalm 100, Know ye that the Lord He is God?
It is He that made us, not we ourselves. We are His people
and the sheep of His pasture. Remember Ephesians 2, we are
His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. God who
has begun a good work in you, He will perform it, He will perfect
it in the day of His power. Created for His glory, created
for His honor. Notice verse 7 again. For I formed
thee, I called thee by name, verse 7, I've created him for
my glory, I've formed him, yea, I have made him. Down in verse
21, in this same chapter. Verse 21, Isaiah 43, 21. This people have I formed for
myself, they shall show forth my praise. Yet God created us,
He formed us, He made us, and it's all for His glory. All for
His glory. That's the grand Scheme of redemption
is the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. We say with David, not
unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name, that we give
glory for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. The Lord, knowing
the sinfulness, the frailties, and the weakness of our flesh,
instructs us not to fear, but rather to trust him. Trust him. Let me show you another scripture,
back one page. Isaiah 41 verse 10, Isaiah 41
verse 10, he says this in the book of Isaiah six times, fear
not, fear not, fear not. Isaiah 41 10, fear not, fear
thou not for I am with thee. Be not dismayed. I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. Yea,
I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee with
the right hand of my righteousness. Fear not. God said, I will, I
will, I will. Same chapter, look at verse 13,
Isaiah 41, 13. For I the Lord thy God will hold
thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not, fear not. I will help thee. Verse 14, Isaiah
41, fear not thy worm Jacob, worm sinner, ye men of Israel,
I will help thee, sayeth the Lord, I'm thy redeemer, I'm the
holy one of Israel. Could we have any better help?
He chose us, he called us, he redeemed us, believers, Or to
trust Him at all times, ye people. Pour out your heart before Him.
God is a refuge for us. Do you remember Psalm 62? The
believer rested in Christ had no need to fear. Sin, He put
it away. Death, He changed the character.
He said, I am He that liveth and was dead. Behold, I am alive
forevermore. He conquered death, hell, and the grave. We have
no need to fear judgment. There is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ. No need to fear
Satan. Oh, he's a roaring lion going
about seeking whom he may devour. But the Lord Jesus Christ had
defeated him. He crushed his dominion, crushed
his power, crushed his head. Now there's seven promises, seven
promises. that we see here, reasons that
believers need not fear. The first one is found in verse
1. For I have redeemed thee. I have redeemed thee. Again,
in the same chapter, verse 25. I, even I, am he that blotteth
out thy transgression for my own sake. and will not remember
thy sins. I have redeemed thee. Look at
chapter 44, Isaiah 44, look at verse 21. Remember these, O Jacob
in Israel, for thou art my servant, I formed thee. Thou art my servant,
O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I blotted out as a thick
cloud thy transgression, as a cloud thy sins returning to me, for
I have redeemed thee. Redeemed, redeemed by the blood
of the Lamb. Now read on, verse 23. Oh, sing
ye, heaven, for the Lord hath done it. Shout, ye lower parts
of the earth. Break forth and sing ye, mountains
and forests and every tree therein, for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob
and glorified himself in Israel. Fear not, we have a Redeemer. who really redeems. He redeemed
us from all our sin. The Lord Jesus Christ actually
delivered us from all our sin with His redeeming blood. Remember,
we are redeemed not with corruptible things, but with the precious
blood of Christ. The Lamb of God, sin of God.
We're redeemed with His precious blood, aren't we? His redeeming
blood. The sacrifice of the Lord Jesus
Christ we know is costly. It's costly. He bought the church
with His own blood. It's complete. He completely
put away our sin. We don't have partial redemption,
do we? We have complete redemption. It's particular. He laid down
His life for His sheep. It's effectual. He said their
sin and iniquity will I remember no more. It's satisfying. God is well pleased with the
sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's eternal. We have eternal
redemption. You remember Hebrews 9 verse
12? He obtained for us eternal redemption
with His own blood. He redeemed us, fear not. That's good news, is it not?
That's the gospel message. Christ is our Redeemer. You remember
the story of Ruth and Boaz? The kinsman-redeemer who had
to be near kin, had to be willing to redeem, able to redeem, and
the Lord Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of that kinsman-redeemer. Fear not. Fear not. Here's the
second thing. He said, I've called thee, see
verse, still in verse 1, I've called thee by thy name. Jacob
where art thou? I'm here, Lord. What's your name? Jacob. Jacob, cheat, supplanter. We read in 2 Timothy 2, verse
19, the Lord knoweth them that are his. The foundation of God
standeth sure. The Lord knoweth them that are
his. How long has he known his people?
Their names are written. Their names are written in the
land book of life before the foundation of the world. Remember,
our Lord says this of Jeremiah, before I formed thee in the belly,
I knew thee. And before thou camest forth
out of the womb, I sanctified thee and ordained thee to be
a prophet. How long has God known us? How
long has God loved us? He's loved his true Israel everlastingly. The Lord knows his sheep by name
and calls them out. with the gospel message. It pleads
God, through the preaching of the gospel, to call out his sheep
and to save them by his grace. Faith comes by hearing and hearing
by the word of the Lord. This is not that general call
of the gospel, it's that effectual, irresistible call of God, the
Holy Spirit, that will conquer the sinner with invincible power. I have redeemed thee, I've called
thee, you're mine. It's a call out of darkness into
God's marvelous light that we should show forth the praises
of him who called us out of darkness. His scripture is called a high
calling, a holy calling, a heavenly calling. It's a personal call. We've seen that recently, haven't
we? Matthew, follow me. Zacchaeus, Zacchaeus! Maccabees come down, Lazarus
come forth. You see, he calls his sheep by
name, and they hear his voice, and they do follow him. Let's
turn over a couple pages to Isaiah 45. Look at verse 4, Isaiah 45. For Jacob my servant's sake,
and Israel my elect, have I called thee by thy name. I have surnamed
thee, though thou hast not known me. I am the Lord, there is none
else. There is no God beside me. I
girded thee, though thou hast not known me, that they may know
from the rising of the sun from the west that there is none beside
me. I am the Lord, there is none
else. Now read the next verse. I form the light. I create darkness. How does he do that? Withholding
the light. I make peace. I create evil. How does he do that? Withholding
peace. I the Lord do all these things. He knows his sheep by
name. It's a personal call. It's a
powerful call. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of God's power. It's a penetrating call. Piercing
call to the heart of man. And it's producing call too.
It gets result, doesn't it? God who saved us and called us
with a holy calling. God saved us and then He called
us. When did He save us? In that
eternal covenant of grace. And in time He called us. He
called us with the gospel. So it's a personal call, it's
a powerful call, it's a penetrating call, a piercing call, and it's
a producing call, it gives results. Third reason, fear not, I've
redeemed thee, fear not, I know your name, I've called you out
of darkness. The third reason is this, he
said, I've called thee by thy name, and the reason I did that,
you're mine. You see that? You're mine. You
belong to me. You see that? I've called thee
by name, thou art mine. Remember our Lord said, all that
the Father giveth to me, they'll come to me. Where did he get
these people? The Father gave them to the Lord
Jesus Christ. You remember we studied in Isaiah
42 verse 1, behold my servant, my elect. That's Christ. He is the elect. We're chosen
in Him. The old songwriter said, Christ
be my first elect, he said, and then he chose us in our head.
Christ is the elect. We're chosen in Him. We're chosen
in Him. The reason He redeemed us is
with His own blood. He redeemed us with His own blood. Thou art mine. The reason He
redeemed us with His own blood and called us by His fetching
grace is because we belong to Him. Remember, our Lord prayed
in John 17, didn't he? Father, you've given me power
over all flesh that I should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given to me. You read John 17. Six times in
that prayer, the Lord talks about those given unto him. He said,
I pray not for the world, but I pray for those that you've
given to me out of the world, thine or mine and mine or thine. in Christ Jesus. So fear not,
we belong to Him. He chose us in Christ. He blessed
us in Christ. He redeemed us in Christ. He
called us in Christ. Our Lord said to His apostles,
you didn't choose me, I chose you. I ordained you. So believers, true sons of Israel,
true sons of Jacob, the true Israel, fear not. Fear not. The fourth reason that we need
not fear, he said, I am with thee. I am with thee. Look at verse two. I am with
thee. When you pass through the waters,
I'll be with thee. Through the rivers, they shall
not overflow thee. When, it's not if, it's when
you walk through the fire, fiery trials, You'll not be consumed,
neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Fear not, I am with
thee. Sixty-three times in the Bible
it says, fear not. Fear not. In verse 5, Isaiah
43, fear not, I am with thee. You see that? I am with thee. I'll bring thy seed from the
east. I'll gather thee from the west. I'll say to the north,
give up. And to the south, keep not back.
Bring my sons from far, my daughters from the ends of the earth. I
will be with thee. Fear not, thou worm, Jacob. The
Lord will not forsake his people in a time of trial, but rather
he promises to be with us. Remember the promise to his disciples
upon his ascension back to glory. He said, all powers given unto
me in heaven and earth, go therefore and preach the gospel to every
creature and know this. Lo, I'm with you always, even
to the end of the earth. I'm with you always. I'll never
leave thee, I'll never forsake thee. The Lord's promise unto
us is not that we won't have trial. It doesn't say if you
go through this or if you do this, when, when, but rather, The Lord promised
us that He'll be with us when we go through the trials. Our Lord said, these words have
I spoken unto you that you might have peace. He said this to His
apostles just on the eve of the cross. These words have I spoken
unto you that you might have peace. But in this world you
shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome. Peter calls those trials precious
trials. Precious trials. I wrote this
down so I'd get it right. Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though some
strange thing happened to you. But rejoice, you are partakers
of Christ's suffering, that when his glory shall be revealed,
you may be glad also with exceeding joy. Fiery trial, troubles and
heartaches, sicknesses, we all know. about them intimately,
don't we? We've all been through these
trials. When we pass through the waters of trouble and sickness
and sorrow, the river shall not overflow us. When we walk through
the fire of temptation, persecution, disappointment, grief will not
be consumed as his people. John Rippon, his hymn we sang
a moment ago, How Firm a Foundation. The words go, fear not, I am
with thee, O be not dismayed, for I am thy God, I'll still
give thee aid. I'll strengthen thee and help
thee and cause thee to stand upheld by my righteous, omnipotent
hand. When through the deep waters
I call thee to go, the rivers of woe shall not thee overflow,
for I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless and sanctify
to thee thy deepest distress. When through fiery trials thy
pathway shall lie, my grace all sufficient shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee. I only design thy dross to consume
and thy gold to refine. Fear not, I am with thee. Say, well, preacher, I just don't
feel his presence. He didn't ask you to feel his
presence. He said, believe my promise.
I'm with thee. I'm with thee. Fear not. And then the fifth reason not
to fear, I am the Lord, I am the Holy One, the Lord your God,
your Savior. You see that in verse 3? For
I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, I am thy Savior.
We have a Savior. We have a Savior. Again, he repeats
this in verse 11. Isaiah 43 verse 11, I, even I,
am the Lord, beside me there is no Savior. Again in verse
15. He says it again. I am the Lord
your God, the Holy One, the Creator of Israel. I'm your King. I'm your King. The Lord will
spare no expense to care for His sheep and to save His sheep. Call His name Jesus. He is what
He's called. Savior. He shall save His people
from their sin. Here is love, not that we love
God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the satisfying
sacrifice for our sin. When the Lord says, I gave Egypt
for your ransom and Ethiopian Saba for thee, when the Lord
says, I gave or I sacrificed Egypt, And these nations were
the enemies to God's people. The Lord will spare no expense
to save His people. I bought you with such a price. I cannot lose you." What was
that price? His blood. His life. He laid down His life for the
sheep, didn't He? There is no other Savior. Turn
over here a couple pages. Look at Isaiah 45. Salvation
and no other. There's just one God and you
know what? There's one Savior. There's one God and one way of
salvation. Christ is that way. Look at Isaiah 45, verse 20. Assemble yourselves and come,
draw near together you that are escaped to the nations. They
have no knowledge that set up wood of their graven image, and
they pray unto a God that cannot save. What good would it do to
pray unto an idol or a God that cannot save? Tell ye, bring them
near, yea, let them take counsel together. Who hath declared it
from ancient time? Who hath told it from that time?
Have not I the Lord? There is no God else beside me,
a just God and Savior. There is none beside me. Now
look unto me, and be ye saved. All the ends of the earth, for
I am God, and there is no other, no other Savior. No other salvation. Christ is not a way. He is the
way, the truth, the life. The Lord Jesus Christ came to
save sinners. This is a faithful saying, worthy
of all acceptation. The Lord Jesus Christ came to
save His people from their sin. Our Savior is none other than
the Lord Jehovah. He's God, our Savior. How can He fail? He can't. We had that Sunday, didn't we?
He shall not fail. He can't fail. He's got our Savior.
He's got our Savior. So, fear not, we have a Savior
who gave Himself to save us from all our sin. And He cannot fail. Here's the sixth reason that
we should not fear as His people, verse 4, Isaiah 43 verse 4, Since
thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, I have
loved thee, therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy
life. The Lord's people are precious unto him. Thou art precious,
think of this, since thou wast precious in my sight, God speaks from heaven and said,
this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. The Lord Jesus
Christ is precious unto the Father, and because we're in Him, we're
precious unto the Father as well. The Lord's people are precious
unto Him. The sheep have no value in themselves, do they? We're
but hell-deserving, guilty sinners, ungodly. The sheep don't even
consider themselves to be valuable. Oh, wretched man that I am, as
Paul said. But the Lord considered his people
precious because they're his bride. They're his church. They're precious in his sight.
He loved the church and gave himself for it. So much so that
he redeemed us with his precious blood. So much so that He gives
us precious faith to lay hold upon the Lord Jesus Christ. So
much so that when God calls His elect home, when we graduate
from this life, He said, precious in the sight of the Lord is the
death of His saints. That's a precious time. It's
an answer to the Lord's prayer of all that the Father had given
to me, they'll be with me where I am, that they may behold my
glory. Not only is that so, but he also
says, if thy people, they're honorable. You see that verse
four? Precious in his sight. Honorable
in his sight. I have loved thee. I have loved
thee. Fear not. If God loves you, and
the love of God is in Christ, God doesn't love all men universally.
He's not the father of all men. He's the God of all men, not
the father of all men. But God loves His own in the
Lord Jesus Christ. That's where the love of God,
we said nothing can separate us from the love of God, which
is in the Lord Jesus Christ. If God loves us with an everlasting
love, and saved us with an everlasting salvation, that's how He saves
us, with an everlasting salvation. Look over here at Isaiah 45,
turn over there again. Isaiah 45 verse 16. They shall
be ashamed, verse 16, Isaiah 45, also confounded all them,
they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols, but
Israel, The elect of God shall be saved, and the Lord with an
everlasting salvation. You shall not be ashamed nor
confounded, world without end. We are honorable in his sight.
He's made us so. He's loved us with an everlasting
love. His love we know is sovereign
love, unchanging love, electing love, and sacrificial love. We
could talk all day about the love of God, which is in the
Lord Jesus Christ. But God, who is rich in mercy,
for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were
dead in sin, hath quickened us together with Christ Jesus. Let me give you one more idea.
One more thing we see in this text. Isaiah 43. Isaiah 43 verse 5,
6, and 7, he says, Fear not, I am with thee, I'll bring thy
seed, and gather thee from the west, I'll say to the north,
give up to the south, Keep not back. Bring My sons from far,
and My daughters, even everyone that is called by My name. I
have created him for My glory. I have formed him, yea, I have
made him. The point is, fear not, the Lord
will bring us home. The Lord will bring. The very
glory of the Lord Jesus Christ is wrapped up in the salvation
of His people. Remember from 1 Peter 3, verse
18, Christ also once suffered for our sin, the just for the
unjust, that He might do what? Bring us to God. Remember our
study from Hebrews 2, Christ is called the Captain of our
salvation. Who's doing what? Bringing many
sons unto glory. That's those sons of Jacob. The
very glory of the Lord Jesus Christ is wrapped up in the salvation
of His people. He must save, justify, and call
every one of them out of darkness into His marvelous light. He
must bring all the elect of God home to that eternal glory of
all the sheep given to the Lord Jesus Christ and for those for
whom He died, put away their sins, justify them by His grace. How many will He lose? He's not going to lose any, is
he? All that the Father giveth to me, they'll come to me. Those
that come to me, I'll never cast them out. I came down from heaven
not to do the will of Him, to do the will of Him that sent
me. And this is the will of Him that sent me, that everyone seeeth
the Son and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life, and
I'll raise him up at the last day. He's a good shepherd who
goes out and finds his sheep, and he brings them home. Rejoicing,
doesn't he? We can be assured the Lord Jesus
Christ will bring all His covenant children home and we shall sing
forever with the Lord and worship Him forever. Worthy is the Lamb
that was slain to receive all honor, glory, blessing, and power
both now and forever and ever and ever. Fear not.