“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” I John 4:18
“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” ” Romans 8:15
Christians can find themselves in a fearful/depressed state due to their failures/sins as they walk the Christian life. If we do not understand the love of God towards us we can be tormented by our future judgment which all Christians will face at the Judgment Seat of Christ. However, our judgment there is to determine the rewards or loss or rewards we will receive based on our faithful service but nothing about eternal punishment. Our sins will not be judged as they have been paid for by Christ’s death. The perfect (matured) experience of God’s love (reached in the act of loving one another) is incompatible with fear and expels fear from the heart.
Mathew Henry’s Commentary puts it this way – “Those who perfectly love God are, from his nature, and counsel, and covenant, perfectly assured of his love, and consequently are perfectly free from any dismal dreadful suspicions of his punitive power and justice, as armed against them; they well know that God loves them, and they thereupon triumph in his love. That perfect love casteth out fear the apostle thus sensibly argues: that which casteth out torment casteth out fear or dread: Because fear hath torment (v. 18)—fear is known to be a disquieting torturing passion, especially such a fear as is the dread of an almighty avenging God; but perfect love casteth out torment, for it teaches the mind a perfect acquiescence and complacency in the beloved, and therefore perfect love casteth out fear.” God’s love takes away the fear of judgment.”
We, as Believers, did not receive a bondage of fear but rather a perfect love from our God who died on the cross for our sins and paid the complete price for our redemption. We should live each day by faith in this perfect love.
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