Today’s Encouragement is 1 John 4:18-19 (NLT) 8 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other because he loved us first.
Such love has no fear –
My friends, as the adopted children of God, chosen, cleansed, blessed, reborn, redeemed, and deeply loved by our Creator… How could we? Why would we? What could we possibly… Fear?
Reread with me this key thought…. “If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows… that we have not fully experienced His perfect Love!” This explains WHY we are sometimes, too often, or always afraid! We haven’t fully experienced His Perfect Love!
We say it all the time, casually, or with a note of concern, or with genuine terror… “I’m afraid that it may be cancer”, “I don’t believe this is going to turn out well”, “I fear you’re making a grave mistake”, “I’m afraid to fully surrender myself to God because then He might send me to Africa!” And a million other uses (and misuses) of the concept of fear! Fear leads to doubt, depression, panic attacks, isolation, and a host of other social, emotional, medical, and mental ills! Our Enemy loves it when we Fear!
Yet, my friends, there is NO FEAR in the life of God’s Love – which we are reborn into! None! Remember it is First – God – who loved us (v 19), then we love others because of His Love dwelling in and flowing through us. This cleansing Love removes, and “expels all fear”…. Do you see that? Do we believe it? NO FEAR IN LOVE!
Max Lucado wrote a beautiful, powerful, short book titled “Fearless: Imagine your life without fear” which I highly recommend.
Thank You Father for Your Perfect Love, which expels All Fear!
Stand in Your Love
Josh Baldwin
Today’s Encouragement 