No Fear

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

— 1 John 4:18

Even the newest believers have heard the words of John 3:16 or read the Resurrection account in John 20. We know the stories from the Apostle John of the miracles Jesus performed during His ministry and how He laid down His life for us. We may begin to understand His sacrifice and love, but John didn’t want us to miss what happens in our lives when we put our faith in Him.

The love of Christ changes us. John wrote of His love, which is actively at work in every believer. Because of this love, we are free from the power of “he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). This love is not expressed in sentimentality. It is not romantic or even the love we have for our children. Instead, this is a bond that aligns us with the way God loves us. It is a love filled with the power to change everything around us. It is, most of all, a love that casts out all fear.

That’s a bold statement for John to make. It is human nature to be afraid. After all, our lives are filled with unknowns. Lost jobs. Car accidents. Divorce. Most of the time, we don’t see things like this coming, so we worry and fret about what might be. We wait for the sky to fall because everything in our world suggests it will . . . eventually.

But John’s point is that when we abide in Christ, we have no use for fear. We have the promise of eternal life waiting for us and the Holy Spirit within us right now. We are loved no matter what we’ve done. We have no fear of punishment or loneliness. The God of the universe loves each of us as if there were only one of us. What more could we ask for?

Today’s One Thing

Make a list of your current fears and how God’s love can answer each one.

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