ESOCS Devotional 30 December 2023 – No Fear in God’s Love
MEMORY VERSE: “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 …” I John 4:18
TEXT: I JOHN 4:17-21
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.
18 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.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
Our text explains what it means that God’s love is “perfected” or “made complete” in us in 1 John 4:17—that, even in this world, we are like Him because His love is in us. We don’t need to fear the coming judgment because we are in Him and He in us. As Paul put it in Romans 8:1, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
If God lives in us, then His love also lives in and is perfected in us (1 John 4:12). But how can we know that God lives in us? We can be certain because His Holy Spirit dwells in us (1 John 4:13). So, if He lives in us and we in Him, and if His love lives in us, then we have the tools we need to live in His love and show that love to others (1 John 4:16).
If we recognize that we are in Christ and He in us, then we have no fear of future condemnation. We know we have His Spirit within us. His love is expressed perfectly in us—He has given Himself to us. Why would we fear His judgment in the future? We belong to Him. If we (rightly) fear punishment, then we are not in His love because those who are in Him have been saved from condemnation. As Jesus said, God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten, or unique, Son so that the one who believes in Jesus will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Those who have believed in Jesus are in His love and have no reason to fear judgment and condemnation. But those who are not in Christ Jesus have reason to fear the judgment. If we are in Christ, then we have no need to fear— If we are in Christ, we see His love expressed perfectly in His salvation, and we should demonstrate that love toward others.
We should always fear God because He is the Creator who is sovereign over all (2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Peter 2:17; Revelation 14:7); but that is quite different from fearing judgment and condemnation. We don’t fear God because we are afraid that He might violate His promises and throw us into condemnation—no, we should fear God because of His greatness, worthiness, and awesomeness. It is because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10) that we can understand what a gift His love truly is. To be loved by One so incredible and great means that His love is stronger than anything we can imagine. If God is for us, then who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?
God’s love is not a passive love. And in that same way, God’s love does not act passively in us. It drives us, it transforms, and it changes us. It drives us to love one another (v 11), to care for our brothers and sisters (vv. 20-21), gives us confidence towards God even in judgement (vv. 17-18), and transforms us to be more like Christ (v. 17). If God was willing to take the initiative to love and sacrifice Christ for these people, then surely, I can go out of my way to love them as well.
- How has God’s love brought transformation to your life and how do you deal with fear as it relates to His love?
- Dear Father, fill me with perfect love for You and help me to reverence You all the days of my life.
FURTHER READING: Isaiah 50:1-11; 40:1–20; John 12:20–33
ESOCS Devotional 29 December 2023
