Perfect Love Casts Out Fear -- More About What That Means

"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)

I used to read this passage with a sense of judgment sometimes.

There were times when I was still afraid, or in which I would feel fear.

I then began to think: "I am not loving enough. What do I do to change this?"

The sense of fear was so great, and I wanted to do whatever I could to get rid of it.

The more that I learned that the New Covenant, the Gospel is about God's love for us, not our love for God, I began to realize that this perfect Love is not ours, but God's.

And yet still ... there were times when I felt great fear, and I didn't understand why.

The answer to this problem is found in the previous verse:

"Herein is our love made perfect (lit. love perfected among us), that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17)

How is love perfected? That God sees us in His Son, that we have the same standing as Jesus, God's own Beloved Son? We are just like Jesus before our Heavenly Father!

We are Beloved, we are not shamed!

He does not see our sin, our struggles. He is not put off nor does He put us away if we fail.

We are accepted in the Beloved! (Ephesians 1:6)

This part was harder for me to settle in, or at least harder than I realized.

I had believed that I had to fix my feelings, get rid of my fears, not have bad thoughts so that I could come before God. If I was fearful, then I feared all the more that His presence, His life would not flow through me or in me. That lie created so much bondage in my life.

But now I realize that God the Father's love for me is perfect, because the work has been perfected at the Cross, and this work's perfection culminates in ... I am like Jesus to God my Father. He sees His Son when He looks at me!

That is love perfected, and when we understand that, all traces of fear are cast away. We know that He, our loving Father, our Daddy God, is on our side, and we never have to wonder if He has something sinister or untoward planned for us.

Furthermore, when I have a sense of fear or anger, or when I am struggling with something else, I know that I can come boldly to Him and seek His help, His mercy and grace, in time of need (Hebrews 4:16)

As soon as anyone of us understands that God will never condemn us for our sins against (Isaiah 54:9; Romans 8:1), we need never fear God again. We need never fear His wrath, His punishment, because He is now our Father, and all our sins have been put away forever!

His Perfect Love is Unconditional Love

"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)

I used to fear so much. I worried about the future. I wondered if "One Day, all my sins will be found out!"

I feared that all my needs would not be met.

I wondered if I would be all alone in this world.

I had so many, so many fears.

Then I felt about these fears, because I would look at the above verse, unable to make sense of something.

If I was fearful, it's that I didn't understand how much God loved me. If I was fearful, it meant that I wasn't "as He is", based on the previous verse.

Now I look at this verse with renewed revelation.

Love is perfected among us because as Jesus is, so are WE in this world.

This is a revelation for all of us.

And yet, individuals in the Body of Christ may struggle, may suffer in their understand of God's perfect love for us.

And there it all makes sense. I used to read that passage in 1 John 4:18, concluding "I guess I am not saved."

The truth is that I did not understand how perfect God's love was for me! He loves me perfectly, uncondititionally, irrespective of how I feel, or what I may be thinking or feeling.

He loved me and cared for me, even when I feared for my life, my liberty, my dignity. Even when I feared the worst and bad people were going to come get me. Even when I thought I was completely alone in the world, and no one knew what I was going through.

No one had ever told me that God loved me like that. No one.

Perfect love is unconditional love, the love of God sending His Son to die for me, to take all my sins, to free me from the penalties of sin. His love took me from dead in my trespasses to alive, seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, in God's own Son! (Ephesians 2:4-6)

Rightly did the Psalmist write:

"Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:" (Psalm 103:1-2)

and also

"Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it." (Psalm 139:6)

When we understand that God sees us and loves us as much as His own Son, we need never fear again!

"And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased." (Luke 3:22)

Notice that God the Father, Daddy God, addressed His Beloved Son directly: "You are!" Not "This is!"

God says this to all of us "You are my Beloved Son!"

You! Me!

That is perfect love. That is unconditional love. When we understand that, it casts out all fears!

It puts out of doors of every perversion. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, none of it matters when we have His perfect love for us!

Wow!