No Fear
Today’s Verse:
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18
When I was a toddler, my favorite book that I enjoyed having read to me was Fraidy Kat. I could identify with this character because I was so afraid of almost everything. Fear is when we have apprehension about a situation and lack the courage to face it. Fear can be tortuous, mentally and emotionally. We want to run and hide. We panic and cry. We fall apart and are beside ourselves. However, our devotion this morning tells us that there is a cure for fear. “Perfect love casteth out fear.” This morning, let us see how we can be a people with “no fear.”
There is the validation.
“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” We must look to God in order to understand perfect love. The word perfect implies “absolute,” “authentic,” “true,” “flawless,” and “matchless.” God is love! The very essence of God is the fact that He is love. His perfect love was demonstrated when Jesus came to earth to die for our sins. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Perfect love is the just dying for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.
There is the virtue.
“And he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” Love is a fruit of the Spirit. Love is the ultimate achievement of spiritual maturity (2 Peter 1:7-8). The exercise of love demonstrates that we are His disciples (John 13:35). Notice that we are given the directive to dwell in love. Paul said that we are to walk in love, even as Christ loved us and gave Himself as a Sacrifice and a sweet-smelling savor. When love is supremely evident in our life, we know that our fellowship with Him is pleasing. It demonstrates that God is working in and through us.
There is the valor.
“Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” When we exercise perfect love by loving one another, we have the confidence to know that we can stand before our Lord Jesus at His judgment seat with boldness. We do not have to be afraid of what kind of life we have lived when perfect love works through us. John said, “Because as he is, so are we in this world.” Just as Jesus came to give His life in love, even so our life focus is to live our life in love for others. The more we love, the more that perfect love is in us. The more we love, the more we are like our God. The more we love, the more we will have boldness that we did all that God wanted us to do.
There is the victory.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” The victory is deliverance from fear. Perfect love at work in us displaces the fear of our outcome, of being an outcast, and of being overwhelmed. The fears of financial depletion, personal failure, and darkened future do not plague a Christian who is walking in God’s love. Perfect love tells us that we are more than conquerors through Him that loves us. Perfect love constrains us to be a strong witness in all seasons. Perfect love enables us to focus on caring for others instead of sulking in our problem. Perfect love gives us purpose, vision, and rest for our souls.
Do you want be delivered from your fear? Live in the virtue of perfect love. Let God’s perfect love abound in you today!
Have a love-filled God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Judges 3-5