TRACT 10 -- Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name; you are Mine! (Isaiah 43:1)
Everybody is afraid of problems and dangers falling on them. Every individual gets a shock when an accident happens beside him. He is shaken in his heart when he hears about bloody wars and dangerous epidemics around him. Some people are a bundle of fear under depression, living as nervous wrecks. But the Lord forbids you to fear, because He lives, and He is mightier than every power that can attack you. He is wiser than your anguish. Therefore, hear what He says to you.
Do Not Be Afraid!
God forbids you to fear unclean spirits and Jinn. He wants you to abandon belief in the evil eye. Forsake putting blue pearls on the clothes of the children, hanging a horseshoe over the door of your house, and knocking on wood. Everyone doing so confesses by these acts that the spirits behind these rituals are stronger than the Lord Himself. God is the Almighty, ready and able to protect you because He is mightier than all spirits.
The Lord loves you and will free you from the fear of the future. Do not be afraid from wars, from nuclear fallout, and from the increase of pollution in the world. It will be seen in the future that no activities of men can save the world. There is no solution for us except God. He is greater than all distractions. Trust in Him fully.
Your Creator wants to overcome in you fears of examinations, unemployment, hunger and depression. He is ready to help you and bind Himself to you. Therefore, be industrious in your profession and be faithful in your daily work, then you will see that the Lord will bless you abundantly. Look to Him, and you will receive guidance and comfort in the midst of dangers.
The Almighty will protect you from your enemies, from the hatred of those who envy you, from being expelled from your shop or country, and from the deceit of thieves. He will protect you if you turn towards Him and remain in Him. Even if need and pessimism may flood you, the Lord will be your power and hope. Therefore do not depart from Him; He will keep you in His name.
The everlasting Lord forbids you to fear death, to shudder from punishment in the grave, and tremble from the fire of hell. He is able, and wants to save you and protect you. God did not die as some mockers say, but He is the fountain of life. Come near to Him and abide in Him, then you will experience peace in the midst of life and death.
God is just and, at the same time, the justifier from all your sins. Only He can sanctify you from your evil deeds. He does not want to destroy you by His wrath in the Day of Judgment. Do not think that you can save yourself by your good deeds. God himself loves you and opens for you a door to everlasting success.
The One who is full of everlasting love is ready to protect you from yourself, to save you from your unclean heart, and to overcome your pride. He will strengthen you in your temptations, and will overcome the white lies that slip quickly over your tongue. Therefore open your heart to His Holy Spirit, for He will sanctify you because He is holy.
The Lord encourages you to remain peaceful in all situations in life. He revealed in the Bible, 365 times, His clear commandment: “Do not be afraid.” This applies to individuals, to families and to the masses – to men and to women. You can exercise this commandment of the Lord every day of the year, so that you will not be controlled by fear, but will overcome it by the power of the Lord. Deliver your life, your plans, and the steering wheel of your future to Christ then He will care for you more than any earthly father can, and He will protect you and bless you abundantly.
As soon as you open your fearful heart to Him, you receive light and power that you can believe in Him and love Him and gain hope for the future. Then the reasons of fear that pile up in front of you will have no hold on you. The Lord reveals to you even the secret of why He wants to free you from all dangers and fears; He says to you:
I Have Redeemed You
The children of Jacob had been despised slaves in Egypt, and the Pharaohs had exploited them. However they trusted the Lord and His fatherly care. Therefore, He asked them that every family slaughter an unblemished lamb, and that every member of the family be put under the protection of the shed blood, so that the wrath of the Almighty would pass from them. If they would not do it, He would destroy them for their sin. The children of Jacob obeyed the command of the Lord and trusted in His call. So He freed them from their slavery by the blood of the Passover Lamb of God and guided them into deliverance and freedom.
Abraham also experienced the secret of redemption, when he tried to sacrifice his only legal son, as a burnt offering, to glorify God. But the Lord prevented him from killing a person as a sacrifice and strongly forbade him to kill his son, because the Lord, Himself, redeemed him with a great sacrifice (Sura Al-Saffat 37:107). In this way the Holy God, in His grace, has redeemed all the children of Abraham by a great sacrifice, redeeming them forever.
Today, the promise of the Lord, “I have redeemed you,” is reaching you. This promise is written in the past tense, because the act has already been completed for you. This tells you that your salvation is complete and need not be done again. The living Lord wants to implement His finished redemption in you, so that you will not fear this world or the next, and so that you will not say “perhaps” He will redeem me. The Almighty God has redeemed you from the Day of Judgment, from the deceit of Satan, and from the power of sin in you. You should recognize that your redemption is legally accomplished. It is not up to you to save yourself by fasting, prayer, offerings, pilgrimage or fighting for God. The Lord has completed a great redemption for you, and has offered you His salvation as your legal right, which can never be questioned. He grants you His grace freely. Therefore, don’t be afraid, but accept your privilege, believe in your redemption, and trust in the Word of your Lord. If you believe in your redemption, it will be implemented in you according to your faith.
It may astonish you that the Lord of the covenant had given this promise, “I have already redeemed you,” especially to the stubborn people who had been driven away to Babylon. The Lord had allowed that they would be driven away because of their unbelief and opposition to Him. They had to leave their houses and country, and were thrown into the desert 800 kilometers from their temple. They became ill and fearful and were without help, and some of them remembered their sins. They had no weapons and no money. They had nothing else except their life and their Lord. In this terrible situation the Almighty assured them, “Trust in Me, do not be afraid, for I have redeemed, I have called you by name and I am stronger than all powers that make you slaves.”
Whatever your situation is, be sure that the merciful God wants to free you from your fear, from your desperation, and from the sting of death. He has redeemed you by the vicarious death of Christ – legally and forever. The Son of Mary is the Lamb of God and your substitute who endured the punishment of the cross for your sins. Therefore, your Creator will not be your merciless judge, but He is the One who justifies you and forgives you as your spiritual Father, ready to help you everyday.
I Have Called You by Name
Do not forget that the Lord of love has really redeemed you! Have you experienced this miracle or not? The merciful Lord has prepared for you an encompassing freedom from sin, from death and from the temptations of the devil. And the Lord does more than this for you. He calls you personally. He does not call you as a fearful judge. No, He turns toward you kindly, because His wrath passed from you, if you trusted in the protection of the blood of the Lamb of God. The Lord knows your name. He knows who you are, better than you know yourself. He knows all your secrets; they are open to Him. In spite of all of this, He loves you as you are.
What an amazing story! The great God calls you, the small man, by your name. You are important to Him. He knows you and cares for you. He wants to grant you His gifts and free you from your inner chains of bondage. Whenever a father or mother calls their child by name, as he plays outside, this child knows, upon hearing the call, that he was singled out and that he must respond or a problem will arise. Therefore, be alert and know that your Creator calls you and your Redeemer addresses you and your Comforter draws you personally. As long as He addresses you He lifts you up to His own level, because He speaks to you and His word will make you alive. Never forget that the Lord calls you. Do not forget His call, because in this call He offers you His mercy and His grace.
When Christ lived among us on earth, He went to the grave of His friend Lazarus, who had died three days before He arrived. Jesus asked the people around Him to roll the stone from the grave, but they didn’t want to do it, because Lazarus was dead three days and gave off a stench. Jesus insisted, and after the stone was rolled back, He called with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” Then, the body bound in linen came out. The voice of Christ can raise the dead. (John 11:34-44; Sura Al-‘Imran 3:49) The call of the Son of Mary contains the full authority and power of God.
Christ today lives with God, and He calls individuals who long to hear His voice. He calls you today by your name. Abandon your pride and He will resurrect you from your sins, make you alive, and shelter you in your Savior. Do not hesitate but answer your Lord and thank Him for His call to you.
Maybe you know that the Greek word for church, “Ecclesia,” had a special meaning before Christ came. It meant that every town was responsible for itself, and the inhabitants had to make decisions through the gathering of “responsible ones.” These responsible ones were called to the center of town to make decisions about war or peace, about taxes or laws, and everything that concerns life in the town. The name of the meeting of the responsible ones of the town was Ecclesia, which means the called ones. The Ecclesia or the called ones would carry together the responsibility of their town. Jesus and His apostles used this expression to explain the secret of the church, and called it Ecclesia. This means that every spiritual member of their church is called by the Lord by His name. He calls them to leave evil thoughts and sins, to overcome death and the devil by the Spirit of the Lord, to be freed from the temptations of this world, and to carry, with all those who are justified, the responsibility for others in the community, by their prayers, offerings, and services.
Examine yourself! Are you one of the called ones who carry responsibility for others? Or are you still overcome by sin and temptation? Know that Christ has called you by your name to serve Him. What is your answer to Him?
You Are Mine
The Holy God assures you with a unique phrase, “You are Mine. I have not only created you but I have also redeemed you from your revolting thoughts and behavior, and cleansed you, sanctified you and accepted you as my believing one.” This assurance does not reach you because you are better than others, but because you accepted God’s redemption, which He has completed for you.
The Lord explains to you, “You are My precious possession. You are not your own any longer, but you are Mine. I am your Lord forever. You are unique in My eyes, with a very high value. I will care for you; I will not leave you alone; I stay beside you. You belong to My family and My heavenly clan. You are protected in My love. I am your guarantee. I will carry responsibility for you, and never will I forget your name. No one can snatch you out of My hand. You are not forgotten whatever you become in your life and death. I am with you always, even until the end of the age. I call you, that you will become a joy for Me.”
There was a young man who worked hard and saved every penny. Finally he was able to buy a vehicle. He was now able to move, to drive up mountains and come down. He no longer had problems. He washed his car and cared for it. At night he secured it, so thieves would not steal it. All his heart and thoughts were placed on his new property. Therefore, if a simple man can be so excited about his purchased property and care for it and pay for it, how much more will the living God care for, protect, and love every believer who answers His call.
Everyone who hears the voice of God in his heart and opens himself to the love of Christ and receives the power of His Spirit will become a new creation. The Spirit of the Lord will dwell in the believer and the Lamb of God will guide him to a life full of thanksgiving, and establish in him peace and harmony in the midst of a world full of dangers and needs. The life of God flows and works in the lives of the redeemed called ones. Did you submit yourself to God as His spiritual child? Or do you still roam around far off from your Creator and Redeemer and leave him more and more?
Did You Understand Your Redemption?
If you want to know more about the love of your Lord and His completed redemption for you, we are ready to send you helpful literature for free, that can guide you to grow in faith, if you ask us for it.
Truly God has Prepared His Redemption for All People
The Lord has demonstrated His love to everybody, regardless of whether they are good or evil. He wants to give them His complete redemption freely. But we are sorry that most of them do not know their fortune and go on in fear and in misery. If you want to help your friends and relatives, that they can grasp the completed redemption for them, we are ready to send you a limited number of copies of this booklet if you ask for it. Serve your Lord because He has served you more than you know.
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