No Fear in Love
From The HeartPublish date: 03/20/2011
For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. 18 He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation — he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ’s name.] 19 The [basis of the] judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground for the sentence) lies in this: the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works (deeds) were evil. John 3:16-19 AMP
The Bible says that ALL mankind has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Because of this sin, ALL men are already judged guilty and sentenced to eternal separation from God. However, because of the love, mercy, goodness and kindness of God, He made plans to deliver us from this sentence of death and He finalized them in the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ! All we have to do is believe God’s word that Jesus has taken our place, died and rose from the dead for us! The Father sent Jesus into the world, not in order to judge, reject, condemn, or to pass sentence on the world, but rather that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him. This is God’s love that we would be made righteous and acceptable before Him; that we might have a right and a way to come into His presence; that we might spend eternity with Him. Jesus said that if we believe His words and if we believe that God sent Him, we have eternal life now and will not be judged or sentenced because we have already passed over out of death into life! (John 5:24)
These children are people with physical bodies. So Jesus himself became like them and had the same experiences they have. Jesus did this so that, by dying, he could destroy the one who has the power of death — the devil. 15 Jesus became like these people and died so that he could free them. They were like slaves all their lives because of their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 ERV
And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him. 17 In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection]. 19 We love Him, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:16-19 AMP
Because God loves us so much and because He sent Jesus, we are able to come before Him with NO fear — we can even have confidence on the Day of Judgment! Sinners have a reason to fear God, because they still carry a death sentence over their heads and, without divine intervention, will bear the punishment for their sin. Born again believers, forgiven and washed in the blood, have no reason to fear any longer! There is no punishment waiting for them — Jesus interceded on their behalf — He was punished and they are acquitted. Love — God’s love for us — is the reason for all of this. The more we stay in union and communion with Jesus and His word, and the more we grasp the fullness of His love and all He has done for us, the more freedom and peace we experience. LOVE delivers us from all and any fear! We are no longer slaves to fear! We don’t fear anything pertaining to this life and we don’t fear death because God loves us and we have relied on, and have faith in, that love. Ephesians 3:12 says that because of our faith in Jesus, we dare to have the boldness, courage and confidence of free access — an unreserved approach to God — with freedom and without fear.
For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father! Romans 8:15 AMP
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV
Thank God that through His great LOVE, we have been delivered from fear — ALL fear including the fear of death. We are no longer strangers to God, but we are His sons and daughters. We are FREE to live, to love and to celebrate this great life that Father God has so graciously given to us!