No Fear in Love

No Fear in Love:

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18)

God's perfect love wipes away our every fear and every tear. When fear strikes our hearts and penetrates our thoughts, it causes us to doubt His love. We may wonder inside, "Does God really love me? Is there any way He will forgive me, even after how badly I've messed up? Can God pull me out of a pit this deep and defiled?"

Of course! Not only does He possess the strength to pull us out of our messes, but He longs to do so! Nothing, and that means absolutely nothing, could ever separate us from His unfailing love. It doesn't matter what we've done or how many times we've done it, God's patient and persistent love continues steadfastly.

"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

No defying forces have the dominion to destroy the powerful love-bond with which the Lord has secured us. If not even death itself could sever the ties of His perfect love, then should nasty old fear cause us to tremble or shake? No! We refuse to be shaken by fear's empty threats!

"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." (Psalm 55:22)

His perfect love has no ends or restraints. He goes to great and immeasurable distances to console us, forgive us, and favour us. His mercy makes our hearts whole, and His graces supplies the courage we need to abandon our fears.

God has spoken His promises over us, and this includes His promise of perfect patience and love. Therefore, when little worries show up and we feel as though they're too silly for God to care or do anything, think again. In fact, it's every single detail in our lives - big and small - that touches the very heart of God.

"But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." (Luke 12:7)

He feeds the birds, and He even knows precisely how many grains of sand occupy the shores of the sea. What has made us doubt His divine devotion towards us? Fear.

Fear drives a wedge, a painfully brutal and unwanted wedge, in the centre of our intimacy with Christ the Lord. Fear attempts to destroy the loving, trusting relationship we have with God. Fear's mission is to slaughter our dependence on God, steal our joyous abundance from God, and ultimately separate us from God altogether. Fear has only impure motives.

God, on the other hand, has a much different plan. God extends His hands of mercy towards us, floods us in forgiveness, and lavishes us in His perfect love. There are no conditions or prerequisites needed to receive His love; there's only gracious goodness and peaceful patience. The Lord is our Good Shepherd, and His mission is founded on His marvellous mercy.

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

Fear has to leave, because in this very moment, God's love is invading. God's perfectly spotless love is seeping into the broken cracks of our lives and healing every one of our hurts. His love is not constrained to our own level of uprightness, for now we have been justified freely by the atoning sacrifice of the Blood of the Lamb.

"Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath." (Romans 5:9)

Our God does not condemn us, neither will He ever shame us. Instead, when He looks down on our poor, fallen condition, He sees an opportunity for grace upon grace to come in and rescue and renew us. His goodness and graciousness, through the power of His perfect love, make all things new. He completely renovates the old, sinful self.

The Lord's perfect love alone is enough to drive fear back to his hollows of darkness. When we receive the Holy Spirit, nothing hinders that powerful love from multiplying within our very own hearts. The expansive nature of God's exquisite love leaves no room for fear whatsoever!

Hallelujah! We are free! We are free from the maniacal snares of fear and all his threats. Our peace is securely anchored in the truth of God's unending love and mercy. Goodbye forever fear, for the Lord my God - whose love for me is eternal - is right here. He is near to me now, and His love is demolishing fear's destruction.

O Heavenly Father, Your perfect love casts out my every fear. I praise Thee! I shall forever give Thee my wholehearted worship!

-The Introverted Evangelist