Mature Love Throws out Fear

Introduction

As God’s people, we may struggle to live with confidence that God is in us and we are in Him.

Not everything goes right.

We hear alternative messages about reality.

From the world.

From those who proclaim the Bible falsely.

Like many, John’s audience struggled with doubt about God love for them and about their relationship with God.

Doubt brings anxiety because it reintroduces fear into our minds.

Fear, in particular, of the eternal punishment of God.

After all, if we cannot have certainty that you’ve believed the truth, why would live with certainty that you have nothing to worry about in the judgment?

In these two verses, John explains that God’s love and fear of punishment in judgment cannot coexist.

Knowing and practicing love, therefore, should give us confidence in judgment and drive away the fear doubt tries to re-instill in us.

Mature Love Results in Boldness

“In this” probably looks backward.

It refers to our own practice of love that assures us that God dwells in us and we in Him.

When we, in imitation of God’s own character, practice love for one another, love has been completed with us.

We may also look at John as saying, “we us” the love has been completed.

Thus we are the ones, of those living in the world, with whom love has reached its full goal.

1 John 4:12

John now moves to the result of this reality.

“We are having boldness int he day of judgment.”

John now places this in an eschatological framework.

Our practice of love has long term implications.

Those in whom the love has been perfected do not fear the day of judgment.

See 1 John 3:19-20 .

Courage in the day of judgment comes because we live consistently with God’s own nature.

We can see the resemblance of our Father in ourselves.

God “IS” love. 1 John 4:16.

Note also 1 John 3:3.

Because we know that we are like Him in this world, we have assurance of eternal life.

Love Throws Fear Out.

John begins this explanation with a direct statement about fear.

Fear, here, must have something to do with the day of judgment mentioned above.

It is the fear of facing God’s wrath.

Unbelievers have every reason to be in possession of this kind of fear.

Believers do not. Indeed, believers should not be in possession of this kind of fear.

Fear is not in “the love.”

This latter phrase has appeared repeatedly.

It refers to God’s love, Christ, the love consonant with God’s nature, the love we practice toward one another and toward God.

John again refers to complete or mature love.

It is throwing “the fear” outside.

Fear is possessing punishment with the implication of severe suffering.

Mature love removes fear.

One is compatible with God’s nature.

One is not consistent with his character.

One produces confidence the other judgment.

The one living in constant fear has not been completed in the love.

This may be a terrifying statement because it could be understood to mean that being afraid of God is evidence salvation has not occurred.

Those who have not been perfected in love fear the judgment.

Remember, John is offering assurance. The assumption is that those living in constant fear, perhaps like the false teachers, have not been made complete in the love.

John has already spoken confidently of the perfected love among “us.”