Fear -- A False Everything Appearing Real

What is fear, really? Most people will say:

A False
    Evidence
    Appearing
    Real.

John provides a more concise answer:

"There 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)

Fear, at its essense, is the thought of punishment from God, for "torment" speaks of being punished for something.

Yet we need not fear any punishment for anything, certainly for our sins, for Christ took all the hits that you and I deserve:

" God hath set forth [Jesus] to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;" (Romans 3: 25)

"Remission of sins" -- by Christ's death, we need no longer worry about our sins, or even the consequences of our sins. Thus John could write:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1: 9)

God is faithful because He cannot lie (Titus 1: 2), and He has promised from before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1: 20).

Because God has fully punished all the sins of the world, including yours and mine (1 John 2: 2), we can know and believe that our sins are taken care of once and for all.

Therefore, because our sins are forgiven, we can then become children of God by faith in Him whom God has sent, and thus we have no reason to be afraid:

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." (Romans 8: 15)

Because of this sonship that we have before God the Father in Christ, His love is perfected in us:

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

If God gave us His Son, we can also believe that He will give us all things with His Son (Romans 8: 32)

We can also boldly declare:

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13: 5)

Fear is false everything appearing real, and it is Love itself, the Way, the Truth and the Life Jesus Christ in us who casts out everyone of those false appearances!

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