Perfect Love Cast Out All Fear

 

Perfect Love Cast Out All Fear

From Fear to Love

There are two motivations for a disciplined life

 Fear of punishment

and

Love

There is a path from fear and love

The Children of Israel feared God

Fear had to do with punishment

This fear is meant to be a beginning not an end 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, wisdom, etc.

Fear is meant to be the start to great things

From the lessons of fear, we learn about God and His ways

To know God is to know love

So, the lessons of fear are to help us learn to love

Love changes the heart

What we love, we cherish

At this point, love becomes perfected

And perfect love cast out all fear 

The path from fear to love is the path of obedience

When we fear God, we begin to open our minds, freeing our hearts to love

 

Perfect Love Cast Out All Fear

 

Is life a journey?

 

If so, than where does it begin

and what is the ultimate goal?

 

Is there one thing in the center of the target?

 

Is there a bull’s eye?

 

If there is a bull’s eye, what is it?

 

What is the bull’s eye that every life,

every person should aim for on this journey of life?

 

Can you describe the bull’s eye in one word?

 

Can all the complexities of life

find their answer in one word?

 

Is it possible this one word can

be understood in every language?

 

Is it possible this one word can be understood at birth,

where we all start our earthly journey?

 

Is there one word that describes what the world needs?

 

One word everyone understands

no matter what you believe in?

 

This ultimate, most powerful, greatest word is LOVE.

 

We all seek to be loved.

 

We all want to be loved.

 

Is the journey of life like fishing?

 

You spend your time trying to catch love?

 

Is the goal how many expressions of love you can

put on a stringer or in the ice box?

 

Or, is the goal of life to become love?

 

Now all religions and atheist would agree…

 

 The goal is love.

 

But let’s face it, all religions are not the same

or should be combined as one.

 

We all see the goal is love.

 

The goal of love is something Christians

have in common with all people.

 

BUT…

 

For the Christian “God is Love”

1 John 4:16   

 

We do not as Christians just worship love.

 

In the 1960, young people called

Hippies were seeking love.

 

It was a time of doing whatever feels good.

 

It was a seeking for love.

 

Amazingly, as these young people were seeking

the Cyclodelic Utopia of love through drugs and free sex…

 

Many of these self-centered love seekers

found the God who loved them.

 

This is my prayer…

 

 That all those seeking love would find that God is love.

 

Love is not a thing, but is an all mighty supreme being.

 

God is love.

 

The ultimate goal is to connect with God.

 

Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him

1 John 4:16

 

You cannot live in God and God in you

without living a life of love.

 

We must become like Him.

 

The Children of Israel did not start out

their journey from Egypt

with a love for God, but a fear of Him.

 

They said to Moses…

 

Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says.

 Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you.

We will listen and obey."

Deuteronomy 6:5

 

The Lord heard their request and said…

 

"I have heard what this people said to you.

 Everything they said was good.

29 Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me

and keep all my commands always,

 so that it might go well with them and their children forever!

Deuteronomy 5:28-29

 

The Children of Israel obeyed God

out of a fear for Him.

 

Their fear kept them at a distance from God.

 

Fear is a good place to start.

 

Fear causes us to think.

 

Fear causes us to think of the consequences.

 

Fear is a sign of respect.

 

But fear keeps us at a distance.

 

The Israelites journeyed through the wilderness

with a fear of the Lord God.

 

Their fear taught them the laws of God.

 

You do this and things will go well,

if you don’t, things will not go well.         

 

Fear is a good thing.

 

The Israelites’ fear taught them

the laws or ways of God.

 

Scriptures tell us the fear of the Lord is…

 

Pure

Psalms 19:9

 

The beginning of Wisdom.

 Psalms 111:10

 

The beginning of Knowledge.

 Proverbs 1:7

 

The beginning of Wisdom and Knowledge.

 Proverbs 9:10

 

The fear of the Lord is the fountain of life.

 Proverbs 14:27

 

Isaiah says…

 

He will be the sure foundation for your times,

a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;

the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.

Isaiah 33:6

 

All these scriptures point out the need

to do what is right and be righteous.

 

John says…

 

 “There is no fear in love”

1 John 4:18

 

Fear is good…

 

 But it is only meant to be the beginning of our journey to God.

 

Fear leads us to…

 

 Knowledge, Wisdom, Purity and Salvation

 

All these things open our eyes and draw us nearer to Him.

 

God never meant for us to just know right and wrong.

 

He has always meant for us to know Him.

 

This is way John says…

 

There is no fear in love.

But perfect love drives out fear,

 because fear has to do with punishment.

The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:18

Fear motivates us to do right

because of punishment.

 

The ultimate motivation to do right…

 

 Is Love.

 

This is love for God: to obey his commands.

 And his commands are not burdensome,

for everyone born of God overcomes the world. 

1 John 5:3,4

 

The commandments of God are always

the same and they endure forever.

 

The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.

The ordinances of the Lord are sure

and altogether righteous.

Psalms 19:9

 

When our motivation turns from fear to love…

 

 We know we have moved on

in our journey toward God.

 

Those who love God are

motivated to know Him.

 

Those who fear are motivated

to do right because of punishment.

 

God is love and we should desire to be like Him

because He created us to be made in His image.

 

The knowledge of God is to know…

 

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity.

Jeremiah 29:11-14

 

God is love and every thought of His is love for you…

 

 So you and I would love Him with

all our heart, mind and strength.

 

 

 

Scripture Reading

 

1 John 4:16-5:5 NIV

 

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

 

19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

 

5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.