There is No Fear in Love

In 1 John 4:18, we learn that “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” In today’s Bible study, we will explore what that means and 3 ways we can experience God’s love perfected in our lives every day. Enjoy!

In the Book of 1 John, the apostle John describes how believers can have a growing and flourishing relationship with God. In fact, we are encouraged to pursue a deeper knowledge and understanding of God and His love for us. There are challenges however, that will get in the way of us coming to the knowledge of God's love, like the love of the world, hatred from the world, sin, and fear. Before John talks about what love is, he tells believers in 1 John chapter 4 to test the spirits. What he means is don't just look at outward appearances or what someone says, but to have the discernment to know why someone is doing what they're doing, why they're saying what they're saying, and what's the motivating force behind a particular idea, belief, or action. Are they operating in a spirit of love or fear? To be clear, John tells us what love is so we can discern the difference. In 1 John 4:7-10, he says.

 As believers, our motivation should be love because as we learn in 2 Timothy 1:7, God hasn't given us a spirit of fear but instead a spirit of love. So we see from both the letter of Paul to Timothy and now this letter from the apostle John to the church that there is a spirit of fear and a spirit of love battling in this world. The good news is that love is greater than fear. 1 John 4:18-19 says:

As we are perfected in God's love, fear cannot rule our lives. But what does that mean to be perfected in God’s love? 

It means that because we are covered by Christ, for those who have placed their faith in Him, we don’t have to fear the judgment of God because when we receive God’s love and love Him and others, we have then followed His greatest commandment. When asked which was the greatest command of the Law, Jesus said:

When we love, we don't have to fear if we're doing enough for God or if we're doing the right or wrong things. All of God's laws and commands are fulfilled when we love. Romans 13:8 says:

Galatians 5:15 also says

So those that love have been perfected by God’s love because we can’t love without Him. So our acts of love are evidence that we have a sincere relationship with Him, that we abide in Him, and He in us. Still, this is a process that we’re being perfected in God’s love. 

The word perfected here doesn't mean without error as we might think as much as it means complete or mature. Essentially, as we become more mature in our relationship with God and grow in the knowledge of His love for us, the less fear has a hold on our lives. So how do we ensure we are being perfected in God’s love to cast our fear? Here are 3 ways that we can do that:

1. Walk by the Spirit

The first is to walk by the Spirit. To walk by the Spirit means to allow the Holy Spirit to lead you. Often, we’re just doing what we want to do without inviting God into our lives, seeking His will, and asking Him what direction He would want us to take. But it’s being led by the Spirit of God alone that prevents us from being led by the spirit of fear. If we know God is guiding us, we have nothing to fear because who will come against God? As we align ourselves with God, we can have a bold confidence in all that we do and everywhere that we go.

2. Choose faith

Next, we’re perfected in love each time we choose to have faith. Allowing God to lead our lives takes faith. It is easier to be led by our flesh and what we want. It takes faith to give up what our flesh wants to receive what greater God has for us. We’re taking a risk. Will it be better to sacrifice for God and receive His blessing, or stay comfortable doing what we think is best? The truth is, as we walk in the Spirit, God will stretch us. He will ask us to do things we may not know how to do. He will ask us to go places we've never gone before. He does this for the sole purpose that we will lean on Him. If we walk by the Spirit and God leads us only to do what we can in our flesh do by ourselves, then we won't realize that we need Him. And if we don't think we need Him, we won’t seek Him and abide in Him as the Bible tells us. Then how can we experience and be led by his love because remember, God is love? He is the creator and author of love. So every time that we choose faith in God, we choose to be changed and led by God's powerful love.

3. Remember the Gospel of Jesus Christ

The next way that we ensure that we are led by love  and not fear is to remember the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that: 

As we walk by the Spirit and choose faith to live lives led by God, it is the Gospel and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that fuels us to keep going. It's knowing the extent that God went to show us His love that enables us to love Him back, to keep walking by the spirit, to choose faith, and to abide in God who is love. 

Now I’d love to hear from you, Beloved. How has God’s perfect love cast out fear in your life? Let’s encourage one another in the comments. 

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As always, thank you so much for watching, and until next time, be beautiful, be blessed, and be loved.