1 John 4:15-19 – “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love, because He first loved us.” NASB

In these few verses, there are several life-changing truths that I want to highlight and discuss briefly:

• The Way to God – – “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”
• God Is Love – – “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us.  God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
• As He “is,” So Are We IN THIS WORLD – – “By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.”
• Love Defeats Fear – – “There is no fear in love, but perfect love cast out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”
• God’s Love Draws Us to Him – – “We love because He loved us.”  The New King James says it better – “We love Him because He first loved us.”

Today, we will consider number four – “Love Defeats Fear.”

Consider what the passage says: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts our fear; because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” 

First, we know that God IS Love; therefore, fear cannot reside in God, and God lives in us.  That means that fear cannot reside in us if we allow God to live “in” us and “through” us.  David said in Psalm 56:3 – “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” NKJV

 Isaiah declared it a little differently in Isaiah 12:2 – “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For YAH, the LORD is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ NKJV David said when fear comes, “I will trust You, Lord.”  Isaiah said, “I will trust and not be afraid.”  With David, it is as we are most of the time – “Fear then trust.”  With Isaiah, the call was to “Trust and not fear.”

God’s love “banishes” fear, for it is a foreign element in the Kingdom of God!  If God is the ALMIGHTY, then what is there to fear?  If the devil somehow manages to “kill us,” what has he done?  Nothing; we are then translated into our “new bodies” and enter into the presence of the Lord.  If we somehow lose everything we possess here on earth, did God not feed the Children of Israel for 40 years in the wilderness and Elijah with the Ravens and the 5,000 and the 4,000 in miraculous fashion?  God is our source, not man, government, local church, or denomination.  God! 

Punishment is gone from our lives in the sense that we will not face eternal punishment because we are “walking with the Lord,” “covered with the Blood of Jesus,” and have our “sins forgiven.”  So, what is it that we are to fear?  If we allow fear to place, it indicates that we need to work on our “view” of God and our “relationship” with Him. Indeed, we can “trust” Him, and if we can “trust” Him, then if God is for us, what difference does it make who is against us?

May the Lord be with you and banish all fear from your life.  Tomorrow, we will consider the last of the five – “God’s Love Draws Us to Him.”