God's Love & Our Love: Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

1 John 4:13–21 NKJV

By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 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. We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

Prayer

In the previous sections, John has been exhorting us with “don’t believe every spirit” (1 John 4:1-6) ; and “love one another” (1 John 4:7-12)

We evidence that God abides in us when we experience the abiding presence of the Spirit, confess the historical Jesus, and live in the love of God.

By so doing, fear of punishment is cast out of us, God's love is perfected in us, and we love God by loving our brothers.

The remaining section will assume that the person has love for God and one another.

This sections we will be covering today will assume that love is present.

Once it assumes that love is present, we will then tease out some barriers to love, and some implications.

God Abides in Us:

“Evidence of Conversion”

John begins by giving some evidence of conversion in the life of the believer.

The first implication if a person loves his brother is that God abides in Him and He in God.

The Double Witness

The double witness is made up of two parts, “because He has given us His Spirit” (1 John 4:13), and “the Father has sent the Son” (1 John 4:14).

We will look at each component and flesh it out a little more.

1 John 4:13 NKJV

By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

Subjective (Experiential)

“Spirit’s Testimony”

Now at the beginning of this book, we talked a lot about the objective, unchanging nature of our faith.

We talked a lot about the historical Jesus and the need to recognize that our faith is is a historical unchanging independent of us faith.

But John is going to give evidence for the fact that we know we are Christian by the subjective experience.

“By this” refers to the statement after it.. Where he says it is by the fact that God has given us His Spirit that we know we abide in Him.

His reasoning is that we know that we abide in God because He has given us His Spirit.

Ephesians 1:13–14 ESV

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

How do we know we have the spirit?

We DON’T see the Spirit’s activity by a feeling, by a leading, or by a critical attitude...

But listen to how Paul describes the inner life of the Spirit.

Romans 8:14–16 ESV

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

So there is a bearing witness to our Spirit that we have been born again.

The bearing witness within us which makes our hearts to cry out, “Abba! Father!”

The inner workings of the Spirit can be recognizable in us when they draw our hearts back to the Father.

The “finger prints” of the inner workings of the Spirit are reliance on God, and glorying in Jesus.

John goes on to describe the second of the double witness....

1 John 4:14 NKJV

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.

Objective (Historical)

“The Son’s Mission”

Notice how clear the trinitarian understanding of God is for John…

God has given us His Spirit, and His Spirit produces in us a belief that the Father has sent His Son into the world.

John expresses much like he did in 1 John 1:1-4, that they (the Apostolic witness) has seen, touched, and now witness to the risen Lord.

The objective/historical fact is that the Father has sent the Son into the world to save the world.

The subjective/experiential fact is that the Spirit that He has given to us has enabled us to make that declaration.

John is linking up the believers experience with the rock-solid foundation of the coming of Christ.

The Epistles of John Assurance and Christian Love (4:13–5:4)

The test for the reality of spiritual gifts is whether those who possess them also hold to the apostolic faith.

Tied closely with this is the evidence of confession...

1 John 4:15 NKJV

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

Confession of Christ

This confession is simply just the expression of what has already happened within the believer.

The confession is simply the overflow of the experiential happenings of the Spirit in the believer.

The confession is the overflow of belief in the historical Son’s mission to save the world.

The person who confesses that Jesus is the Son of God is the one who has God abiding in Him.

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

This confession is similar to the confession of the disciples in the boats when Jesus comes to them on the water.

He just finishes feeding the five thousand.

He goes up on a mountain to pray by Himself.

Matthew 14:26–33 ESV

But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

John gives one more evidence of the assurance for the believer...

1 John 4:16 NKJV

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

Living in the Love of God

This is the third evidence that a believer is authentic is that they know that God really loves them.

They rest assured in the fact that God loves them.

God is love, the very definition of what love is.

And those who abide in love are ones who abide in God and God in them.

Paul says in another place....

Romans 5:5 ESV

and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

We evidence that God abides in us when we confess the historical Jesus, experience the abiding presence of the Spirit, and live in the love of God.

This is real nice.

We can just put a bow on it and move on.

But it only takes a moment of reflection to realize that though this may be true of an ultimate sense, we functionally don’t live in God’s love all the time.

What do you think it looks like when we don’t live in the love of God?

How does a person begin to function when they are wrestling with the question, “Does God really love me?”?

This may be surprising to you, but when a person does not believe in the love that God has for them, they will fear.

Since the garden, the natural disposition of humanity is one of fear.

Fear of judgment, fear of death, fear of mankind around us.

Listen to the way the author of Hebrews describes Christ’s work of salvation.

Hebrews 2:14–15 ESV

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

Did you catch that?

To “deliver those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery”

That is the natural position of man.

And when a believer does NOT have assurance that God really loves him or her, their unbelief leads them back into this position of fear.

Fear of judgment, fear of death, fear of God.

Example of Fear

Steven has been avoiding church for several months now.

He loves the message, he loves the Word of God, he loves being encouraged.

He has been avoiding church since his last relationship there imploded.

He has been so hurt by the people in the church that he is terrified to come back.

What is going on with Steven?

Betty had a scare last year with her health.

She is a mother of young children and couldn’t imagine dying so young.

Since then she has become petrified with dying.

Every time she considers the thought she has a panic attack.

What is going on with Betty?

The Christian Counselor’s Manual: The Practice of Nouthetic Counseling Love and Fear

Love looks for opportunities to give; it asks: “What can I do for another?” Fear keeps a wary eye on the possible consequences and asks: “What will he do to me?” Love “thinks no evil”; fear thinks of little else. Love labors doing today’s tasks and is so busy that it has no time to worry about tomorrow. Because it focuses upon tomorrow, fear fails to undertake responsibilities today. Love leads to greater love—fulfilling one’s obligations brings joy and peace and satisfaction and greater love and devotion to the work. Fear, in turn, occasions greater fear, since failure to assume responsibilities brings additional fear of the consequences of acting irresponsibly.

Jay Adam’s point is very simple: Where fear exists, love cannot.

Where fear is present, love is hampered.

The Christian Counselor’s Manual: The Practice of Nouthetic Counseling Love and Fear

Love is self-giving; fear is self-protecting.

Love is a giving of ones self.

Whereas fear is a self-protecting defensive posture.

The Christian Counselor’s Manual: The Practice of Nouthetic Counseling

Fear → moving away from (problems, persons), hiding and covering up, self-protection

Love → moving toward (problems, persons), revelation and openness, vulnerability

The inverse is equally as true; for love to thrive, fear will cast out.

God’s Love is Perfected in Us

“Love Casting Out Fear”

1 John 4:17 NKJV

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

Confidence at the Judgment

Now we need to remember that just last week we saw that love was perfected in us when we love our brothers and sisters.

We complete God’s plan when we love one another.

But this week he goes even further gives another purpose of love has being perfected amongst them.

The purpose is that we may have confidence on the day of judgment.

1 John 4:17 (ESV)

By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment,

Boldness for His Coming

Confidence could be best defined as the bold assurance before Him.

For the wicked, the day of judgment will be a day of shame and terror.

But for the redeemed people of God, it will be a day of confidence.

And our confidence will be a sign that love has been completed in us!

Now notice too the grounds that John gives for a statement like this...

1 John 4:17 ESV

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.

As He Is; So Are We

On the surface, this phrase seems confusing.

John is referring to the fact that we are participating in the same relationship of love with the Father as the Son.

Even while we are in the world, this is true of us.

Just as He (Jesus) is the beloved Son, so now we also, are beloved sons through Him.

The love of God is our only hope before this coming judgment.

When we have confidence in the day of judgment, it won’t be because we are great.

It won’t be because we are better than anyone else.

It won’t be because we have attained to some spiritual height.

Listen to what Jesus says, the exalted and risen Christ...

Revelation 1:17–18 (ESV)

“Fear not, I am the first and the last,

and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

The comfort that Jesus gives to John in this vision is the fact that He has died and He has risen.

He is the first and the last!

Hebrews–Revelation Comment

“If consciousness of a great sin weighs you down, comfort yourself with this blood of love.… No human religion can hold its own in the face of the judgment, but it is solely in the blood of Christ that we can have confidence in the Day of Judgment.”

The more deeply we understand of God’s love for us in Christ, the more deeply our confidence will be before Him at His coming.

By so doing, fear of punishment is cast out of us.

1 John 4:18–19 NKJV

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. We love Him because He first loved us.

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

For John, the perfect love creates in us “no fear”

It should be noticed that the natural disposition of a person is living in a state of fear.

Living in a state of fear of punishment.

Living in a state of fear of condemnation.

It is fear that needs to be driven out of us.

Hebrews–Revelation Comment

We cannot know that someone completely loves us while also fearing that he will reject us. When we fear that another will reject us, we fear that his love is not complete.

This lack of fear is in respect to judgment as he just mentioned.

The perfect love here could either be our love for God, or His love for us.

The first reading would mean that we cannot simultaneously love God and fear Him.

The second would mean that God’s love for us, when it is has been fully believed upon by faith will cast out all fear of condemnation.

Perfect love actually removes fear of judgement because a person knows they have been loved.

Whether it is our love for God, or God’s love for us; the result is ultimately the same.

1 John 4:18 ESV

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.

He goes on to say that fear has to do with “punishment” which means, “infliction of suffering or pain in chastisement” (BDAG)

The one who still remains in fear is one who still believes that judgment is coming for them.

The one who fears judgment has not yet been perfected in love.

Think back to Steve with me, the guy who quit coming to church because he was hurt in a relationship there.

When there is a relationship and your thoughts are, “I’ll love you as long as you don’t hurt me.” that’s not love.

Fear is completely self-absorbed.

Love is self-sacrificing.

For Steven, the devil is tempting Steven with, “They are going to hurt you again, you should stay away!”

But perfect love says to Steven, “Even if you’re hurt again, you will never be ultimately harmed, that punishment has been taken away and you’re free to love!”

Now you’re probably wondering to yourself, “Many passages of Scripture talk about our need to fear God, how does this work along with perfect love casting out fear?

This does not diminish the fact that believers are to live with “fear and trembling”

Philippians 2:12 ESV

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

How does it jive that we are to live with “fear and trembling” and yet “perfect love casts out fear”?

There must be a distinction in “fear has to do with punishment” and “fear and trembling”.

It would make the most sense to view the one in respect to judgment and the other in respect to reverence.

We can love and reverence God at the same time, that is NOT a contradiction.

But what would be a contradiction would be to love Him and hide from Him in fear at the same time.

We CANNOT hide from Him and love Him at the same time.

This is exactly what Paul reminds Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6-7.

2 Timothy 1:6–7 ESV

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Notice that the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is not a spirit of fear, but one of power and love and self-control.

Betty with the health scare - The See-Saw of Love and Fear

Remember Betty who had a scare last year with her health.

She is fearing that she may die.

She has come to believe that God is no longer sovereign over her life.

That He is not GOOD, but ultimately she fears being harmed.

Her fears are causing her to be absorbed in her own needs.

But love is absorbed in the needs of others.

1 John 4:18–19 NKJV

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. We love Him because He first loved us.

Derivative Love

His point is that we love as a reciprocal of God’s love for us.

The primary tool God uses to bring us back to Him is NOT fear of judgment but the reality of love.

Romans 2:4 (ESV)

that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

Over against what many Christian’s believe, that judgment should scare people into the kingdom.

John’s point here is that love is what brings people into true relationship with God.

When we love God, it is never to earn God’s favor.

We don’t earn God’s love by loving God.

Our love for God is always a response of His love.

1 John 4:20–21 ESV

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.

Loving God by loving our brothers

Listen to the logic for John, he says that the person who says, “I love God” and hates his brother is a liar.

Wait, I thought that the person said he loves his brother?

The argument for John is simple.

Its easy to love people, because we see them.

But for John its hard to love God, in the sense that He cannot be seen.

So its an argument from lesser to greater.

If a person cannot love a person which is easy to love, he will never be able to love God who is hard to see.

How foolish to “boast of every one who says that he loves God, and yet loves not God’s image which is before his eyes.”

-John Calvin

Let me prove my point by this: think about worship for a moment, what comes to your mind?

Is it singing hymns with lifted hands?

Is it reading the Word?

Is it doing service projects?

All these things are GOOD, but may I contend that some of our greatest worship is in our love for our brothers and sister?

We express our love for God in our love for our brothers and sisters.

For the person to say that they love God, then they must first love their brother.

A person can easily deceive himself and others that he loves God.

But he cannot easily be deceived when it is expressed in loving our brothers and sisters.

Our love for God is shown in the way we love our brothers and sisters.

If a person hates his brother while saying he loves God, he shows himself to be a liar.

It is easy to deceive ourselves that we love God.

It is hard to deceive ourselves that we love people.