Friday, June 8, 2012

Perfect Love Keeps Casting Out All Fear

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." (1 John 4: 18)

"Casts out" is in the present tense. Right now, God's love is casting out fear in every believer, just as love as a fruit of the Spirit is being borne out in the believer over and over (Galatians 5: 22-23).

More importantly, God is love (1 John 4: 16), and His greatest act of love, sending His Son to do for our sins, is a gift which has never ceased being given to men.

The promise of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2: 33), is a lavish, luscious, running over gift. When Joel prophesied that God would pour out His spirit on all flesh (Joel 2: 25), no one should think of the Holy Spirit as a one time out-pouring, but a never-ending supply, for God supplies all of our need according to His riches, not our thinking (Philippians 4: 19).

Moreover, we limit God's power to the extent that we interpreted "He loved me" about God has if His love happened once, and then stopped.

Paul signaled that God's love was not just a one-time act, but an ongoing supply:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Galatians 2: 20-21)

God has given Himself to us through His Son, who dwells in us by the power of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 4: 19)
We are talking about God, the infinite unending Creator of the Universe, He who will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13: 6), the one who knows every hair on our heads, the one who knows the thoughts that He has for us.

God is in us, even when we stray into dark places (Psalm 23: 4). Before and after we falter or miss the mark, He is leading us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake (Psalm 23: 3)

His love is borne out in our lives through His Holy Spirit (Galatians 5: 22) Only when we try to stop fear in our lives by our own efforts do we fall from grace,  do we frustrate God's grace and love from working in our lives.

His love is casting out all fear in your lives, just as His blood still cleanses you, even now, from all unrighteousness. Rest in this truth, and witness all your fears and worries whither away.

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