There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment [it brings with it thoughts of punishment]. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Love considers its object as good and excellent, and therefore kind-hearted, and worthy to be beloved. Love considers God as abundantly good, and completely loving us in Christ, and puts on joy in him; and, as love grows, joy grows too; so that perfect love casteth out fear or dread.
Fear is the root of most of the problems that steal our peace. When we fear we are suffering, we often feel as though our pain will never end. God wants you to know and understand His bigger picture. In comparison with eternity, your suffering will last only "a little while."
"Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
(Mth 11:28-30)
The rest that Jesus promises is love, healing, and peace with God.
Many times we are faced with obstacles caused by people or circumstances that bring intense pressure to our lives. Fear ruins more lives and destroys more than any other thing in the world. But, if we depend upon the love and power of God, He will keep us from all fear, which has either torment or temptation in it. One of the primary reasons people become fearful is that they feel like they're losing control over their lives. The adversary (devil) is a master of illusions he loves to surround us with situations to try and trick us into thinking we're losing control. It's all a lie (he is the father of lies John 8:44) we will not lose a grip on life as long as we continue to keep a grip on God and His Word.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
A literal translation of this verse is:
Hold fast remain firm in your mind do not be filled with anxiety or apprehension for the Lord your God is with you always, He will not leave or with drw from you.
God is our strength, to bear us up under our burdens, to fit us, for all our services and sufferings; He will by His grace put strength into us, and on Him we may stay ourselves. Whoso puts his trust in the Lord, for protection and supply shall be set on high, above the power of man and above the fear of that. It is the love of God that casts out the fear in our lives.
One of the things that God mentions very frequently is to trust Him. For example Proverbs 3:5-6 tell us:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."
In this verse God calls us not to trust Him (i.e. to put our confidence in Him) just a bit, but to trust Him with all our heart (i.e. to trust Him a hundred percent.) However, I believe that most of us will agree that to trust someone or to have a good relationship with someone you need to know him well. The better that you know someone the better the relationship that you have with him and the eaiser to trust Him. God opens his heart to each of us through His Word.
Isaiah 26:3
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
God promises He will keep us in peace, in perfect peace, inward peace, outward peace, peace with God, peace of conscience, peace at all times, under all events; this peace shall be put into, and shall be kept in the possession of, whose mind is stayed upon God, because he trusts in Him.
When a person trusts in God, they put their self under His guidance and government, and depend upon Him that it shall be greatly to their advantage to do so. Those that trust in God must have their minds stayed (fixed) upon Him, must trust Him at all times, under all events, and firmly and faithfully adhere to Him, with an entire satisfaction in Him; and such as do so God will keep in continuing peace, and that peace shall keep them. We are to pray for release from our fears and for an answer to the situation or circumstance we face and believe that He will do the best for us at the right time. Having total confidence in God and His promises will bring us perfect peace and we will not be disturbed by frightful apprehensions arising from those obstacles or situations placed upon us by the adversary.
1 John 4:8
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
"God is Love." These three words are probably enough to give answers to many questions that we have regarding God and, at the same time, they are able to overthrow opinions that we may have heard about God. These three words tell us that God is LOVE and love is something that is manifested in actions. If i say "I love you , I love you" and behind your back I do nasty things is there any love in me? No. The love has to be manifested in actions. The same is true for other things by which one can be motivated. If one is motivated by fear this will be manifested in his actions which will be fearful, without boldness, etc. If one is motivated by hate this will also be manifested in his actions: wickedness, deceitfeulness, etc. God is also motivated by something and this is LOVE.
1 John 4:9
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
God loves us and the giving of His Son showed His love. We should not pass these words quickly, but we must take time to understand the significance of what is said by them. So, according to what we read, God loved us and for this reason He gave His one and only Son to die for us, so that by believing in him we have eternal life. Now, let's suppose that you had one child. Would you give him to die for any purpose? The most probable is that you wouldn't. However, God decided to give His one and only Son for me and you. If He hadn't done that, then me and you still couldn't be saved. It is because He decided to give His one and only Son that made this possible. The question is why He decided to do that. What was His motive? It was LOVE. God is love, and because of His love for us He gave His one and only Son. That was His action by which He proved His love. God paid for me and you with a price that is impossible to be valued. Why? Because HE LOVED US. Everyone is motivate by something. God is motivated by LOVE.
What a price to pay! What value God puts on each of us! Jesus Christ is God's love gift to us. Jesus is the manifestation of perfect Love. Only perfect love casts out fear.
When we know that God loves us it is easy to have confidence in Him. He puts no conditions on this love, there are not enough works in the world that we could do in order to earn it. If we feel like we don't deserve His love, He loves us anyway, and that's something worth our time and effort to believe.
John 15:4
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Learn to abide in His love. The word "abide" means "to dwell in or live". It does not refer to "visiting". It refers to "staying" or "remaining". You don't just visit your house; you live in it. We should learn to live in the love of God.
Though many passages of the Word deal with the problem of anxiety (fear), a look just at Philippians 4:4-7 is enough to show us what God thinks about it.
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Verse 4 calls us to rejoice in the Lord and in fact to rejoice, to be glad in Him, ALWAYS. As it says the Lord is "at hand" (i.e. very near to us). That's why we should be "ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING, BUT in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, to let our requests be made known to God;" As it may be obvious, the word "but" that is used in this passage makes a contrast between what we should not do, which is to be anxious, and what we should do, which is "in everything to let our request be made known to God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving".
Another contrast is also made with the words "nothing" and "everything". Thus, we are to be anxious for NOTHING but in EVERYTHING to let our requests be made known to God. The guaranteed result of these instructions is given in verse 7, where we are promised that if we follow them "the peace of God, which supasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Summerizing therefore, the solution that God suggests to the anxiety (fear) problem is very very simple: it consists of one "not to do ": do not be anxious or "be anxious for nothing". One "to do": "in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made know to God", and the result that is PEACE, and in fact "the peace of God [the only true peace], which supasses all understanding".
1 John 4:16
And we have known and believed the love God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
The knowledge of God's love should not be some biblical fact to which we mentally assent, but it should be a daily reality in our lives. This scripture says we should observe it and experience it.
Paul's prayer for the church, as recorded in the book of Ephesians, indicates how very important it is that we have a deep understanding concerning how much God loves us. Paul could have prayed for anything. He could have prayed for them to have power, do miracles, to exercise authority over the devil. But Paul prayed for the chruch to be rooted deeply in God's love. Paul knew that the starting point--the place from which every point starts--the place from which everything else grows; power, miracles, victory, authority are all based on our being secure in the fact that God loves us.
Ephesians 3:17-19 (Amplified Bible)
May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell [settle down, abide, make his permanent home] in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,
That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];
[That you may really come] to know [practically through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [that is] may have the richest measure of the devine presence and become wholly filled and flooded with God Himself!
These scriptures make it clear that we need to experience His love, not just have a head knowledge, but a deep understnding, and the roots of our being should be "securely" planted in His love.
If we know how completely God loves us, we don't need to fear. He won't allow anything to take place in our lives which doesn't serve good purpose. It is the perfect Love of God that casts out the fear in our lives.
God Bless!
