Monday, November 4, 2013

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear Perfectly

By reckoning, or recognizing, that we are dead in our flesh, no longer to identify with our fallen feelings, we put off the following from ourselves:

 Because we have received a new life though the Spirit, we no longer identify nor regard our fallen flesh:

 "8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6: 8-11)

 "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: " (Colossians 3:5)

 Paul gives a more exhaustive list of "works of the flesh":

 "19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5: 19-21)

We can also add fear to that list:

"18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4: 18)

 Just as we in Christ put off wrath, strife, and lust because they do not identify with us as new creations in Christ, so too fear in our lives no longer applies to us, because we are one with Christ, and Christ lives in us.

1 comment:

  1. This revelation has indeed brought me great peace.

    For so long I kept thinking that I had to own and undo the upsets and hurts in my life. Resentments, frustrations, and all the rest are just residual ashes from our dead old nature, all of which was crucified at the Cross!

    Hallelujah!

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