1 John 4:18
New King James Version (NKJV)
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
This new commandment about love was new in so many ways. The old commandments were written rules. Now they were based on our model, Jesus. The old commandments were baed on possible human action. The new commandment was such a high standard that it could only be kept when empowered by God. The old commandments were fear motivated. The new one is love motivated and that’s so much better.
John, the disciple Jesus loved, explains. There is no fear in love. In fact, perfect love casts out fear. If we are still living fear based lives, we have not yet been made perfect in love. In other words, a fear motivated person is an an unsaved person.
How evil are those who preach a fear based gospel; that’s no gospel at all. How sad that the church remains fearful in so many ways. Fear of the government, the future, and the world fills our pews and is spouted from our pulpits. No wonder Jesus the great lover who died to cast out fear, sat overlooking Jerusalem and the church that would one day be and wept.
Love perfectly as a new man, fear not and be blessed.
Nick
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