"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)
Man's greatest fear, whether he knows it or not, is punishment from God, a sense of reproach which we cannot remove from ourselves.
The same fear quickened Adam and Eve to cover themselves in fig leaves when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 3: 1-7).
The root of this fear: that they were naked, ashamed, and condemned for the wrong which they had done:
"And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I
was naked; and I hid myself." (Genesis 3: 10)
Today, we have the perfect love of Jesus Christ to cover us:
Isaiah first prophesied:
"In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression;
for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee." (Isaiah 54: 14)
Jesus fulfilled this righteous exchange for us at the Cross:
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5: 21)
He told us to make His righteousness the priority in our lives:
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6: 33)
The Night of His Crucifixion, He set forth the New Covenant:
"For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the
remission of sins." (Matthew 26: 28)
Paul proclaimed this Blessed Good News in all simplicity:
"38Be it known to you
therefore, men and brothers, that through this man is preached to you the
forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified
from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Acts 13: 38-39)
This Love, Jesus our Mercy Seat for all our sins (1 John 4: 10) casts out every fear, based on the fearful looking after of judgment from God (Hebrews 10: 26-27)
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