1 John 4:18 - Love and Fear Do Not Mix!
1 John 4:18 (ESV) 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 (NCV) Where Gods love is,
there is no fear, because Gods perfect love
drives out fear. It is punishment that makes a
person fear, so love is not made perfect in the
person who fears.
INTRODUCTION
My boys love to scare me. The other
night, I was walking into my room when Addison, my
thirteen-year-old, jumped out from behind the door and yelled,
"Boo!" I screamed and lurched to the side, my hands
immediately closing into fists. Addie jumped back,
knowing my response would be to strike at whatever
had just scared me. He couldn't stop laughing. I
was irritated and said, "What in the world?"
Addle laughed and said, "Mom, you look so funny
when you are scared." I wasn't laughing. My heart
was racing. I was scared, ready to fight.
I tend to collect fears: fear of spiders,
fear of heights, fear of giant children jumping
out from behind doors. But fear wasn't a part of
Jesus's original plan. There is no reason for fear
when you are surrounded by perfect love. The
moment Adam and Eve stepped out of that love to
shape their own destiny - fear rushed in. Hence,
we all have that heart-pounding response toward
anything beyond our control or understanding. Fear
sucks the joy out of life.
Jesus said, "I have come that they may
have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10,
NIV). It is hard to live life to the full when we
are freaking out. Jesus came into this world to
forgive our sins, to restore us, and to help us
share His love with others. When we invite Jesus
to shape our destiny, He begins to cast out
every fear, surrounding us with His perfect love -
joy in its fullest form. Susanna Foth Aughtmon
Faith Step: What are you afraid of? Tell
Jesus about it. Believe that you are hemmed in by
His perfect love. Step out today and live
unafraid. [Mornings With Jesus 2021 Devotional by
Guideposts and Zondervan]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Committed Love
When I understand something of Christ's
love for me as a sinner, I respond with love for
Christ - and that love includes feelings and
emotions.
But emotions come and go, and we must not
allow them to mislead us. God loves me, whether I
"feel" it or not. Christians who gauge their
relationship with Christ only by their feelings seldom
have a stable spiritual life.
What makes the difference? It can be
summarized in one word: commitment. Feelings come and
go, but commitment stays. (The same should be
true in a marriage.) We who have committed our
lives to Christ may feel joy, gratitude, love, and
so on. But even when we don't have those
feelings, our commitment keeps us true to Christ.
This commitment not only keeps us
faithful to Christ when we don't feel like it; it
also keeps away negative emotions such as doubt
and fear. John Witherspoon, the only cleric to
sign the Declaration of Independence, once said,
"It is only the fear of God that can deliver us
from the fear of man."
When Christ chose the cross, He was
forever committing himself to us. Lets choose, on
the front end, to be equally committed to Him no
matter what trials or tragedies may come. [Hope
for Each Day by Billy Graham]
COMMENTARY
Replace Insecurity with Gods Love
Insecurity ruins relationships. But when
you open your life to others, even though they
could potentially hurt you, youll come alive in
ways youve never experienced before.
Why does insecurity ruin relationships?
Because it prevents intimacy. You long to be close,
but you also fear being close. You long to have
intimacy with others, but it also scares you to
death.
You cant get close to someone if
theres fear in the relationship. This is why living
together doesnt work in the long run. Theres no
lifetime commitment. You never know when somebody is
going to walk out.
But fear vanishes, and intimacy - real
intimacy - rises when two people say, Were
committed no matter what. Were going to make this
thing work.
What do you fear in your relationships?
Maybe you dont want people to find out what
youre really like - so you hide yourself. This is
the oldest fear, all the way back to Adam, the
first man. He said, I was afraid because I was
naked; so I hid (Genesis 3:10 NIV).
When youre afraid, you get insecure
and hide who you are. You cover up, not just
physically but emotionally. You build walls around
yourself and pretend to be someone youre not.
But while insecurity ruins relationships,
love builds them up. The Bible says in 1 John
4:18, Love has no fear, because perfect love
expels all fear If we are afraid this shows
that we have not fully experienced his perfect
love (NLT). Love takes the focus off you and puts
the focus on the other person.
People often ask pastors: Do you ever
get nervous talking in front of a lot of
people? Of course we do! But the minute we think
about how much we love our people, instead of
being worried about what they think of our clothes
or car or speaking style, fear goes out the
back door.
But the only way to love others is to
realize that God loves you more than you can ever
imagine. Suddenly, you dont have to prove yourself
to anyone anymore, and your identity and
self-worth arent caught up in what others think.
Instead, theyre caught up in your relationship
with Jesus.
You may have had some relational
disasters in your life. Welcome to the human race. But
in order to open up to others and fight
insecurity, God wants you to first open up to Jesus,
letting him fill you with his love so you can share
it with others. [Daily Devotional by Rick
Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
1 John 4:18 - Love and Fear Do Not Mix!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20201208-1106.html
John 3:16 - LOVE SUPREME!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211206-0816.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
