Cast Out Fear

By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
1 John 4:17–21
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Cast Out Fear
            There are many things in this world that strike fear into our hearts. The unpredictable nature of the weather, geo-political unrest, worldwide pandemics, you name it, and there is no shortage. And chief amongst these fears is our sinful nature turning us ways from God. We fear that the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh will win the day and we will turn from God. Or at least that is what they want us to think. Yet in the midst of it all God is here with His Word of comfort, His Word of love. God’s love for us in Christ has a purpose and a goal it wants to achieve in us. The objective of our Father’s love is that we believe this so strongly that we have no fear of punishment and hell at all because God poured out His entire wrath against sin upon His Son, Jesus. God emptied all His wrath upon Jesus so that there is none left for us. He has cast out all fear and given us pure joy in the truth of His Gospel. Love is the work and will of God and the fruit of faith in God for the salvation of every human. In this, there is no fear.