PERFECT LOVE
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love.
First, I want to talk about what brings fear into our lives. I think, many times, we get afraid of people, what they think about us, what they can do to us, what they can say about us, and on and on. The Word of God talks about this fear and says that God has got us and not to be afraid of men. Psalm 27:1 (NIV) says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 118:6-7 (NIV) says, “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals [man] do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper...” Proverbs 29:25 (NIV) says, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”
You and I are not the only ones tempted to be afraid of people, what they think, say, and do. For the fear of men to have no effect on us, we have to let God protect us, be our stronghold; we must understand He is always with us and will never leave us hanging out on our own. We must put all our trust in Him, that He will deliver us from the opinions, words, and actions of fellow human beings. Perfect love casts out all fear; and if you walk in love with people, no matter what they do or say about you, then God is able to take up your side because love never fails, and God’s perfect, full grown, and complete love working in you and for you will deliver you from the fear of men.
Another fear that perfect love delivers us from is the fear of tomorrow. Philippians 4:6 tells us not to be anxious or afraid about tomorrow. Matthew 6:34 commands us not to worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will take care of itself. We can very easily get into fear about life and provisions, food, clothes, shelter, etc. Luke 12:22-26 tells us not to worry or be afraid about these things. Then, Psalm 91 is full of things that someone who doesn’t know God would spend every waking moment worrying about. It talks about traps, pestilence, terror by night, arrows, destruction, and sudden death, with thousands and tens of thousands dying. There is a lot in this world to be afraid of, but we don’t have to be afraid because of the perfect love of God.
If you really know He loves you, you won’t be afraid of tomorrow, of what you will eat, wear, drive, live in, etc. You won’t walk around afraid of someone shooting you, or a virus killing you; and you won’t be afraid of you and your stuff being destroyed. Psalm 91 gives us a key to tapping into the love of God and living there. The Word tells us to dwell in the secret place under the very shadow of the Almighty God. When you are in His care, you are in His love, and that love will protect you, and you will live free from fear.