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. 1 John 4:18-19
Love, according to the world’s definition, is many things. It is complicated and blind; Love is the opposite of hate and is difficult to understand. But love defined in the Bible is simple. God is love. Those who know God know love. Those who have tasted God have tasted love.
The only reason man denies God is because they have not known love. The atheist ideology confuses wisdom with fear. The cause of emptiness, loneliness, depression and fatigue is that man has only experienced the love the world offers. Worldly love is imperfect. It makes us doubt; ignites jealousy; pumps fear into us and fuels us with anger. Earthly love makes us guilty. It encourages us into shameful acts and pulls us away from God, leading us to death.
The only love that is pure and perfect is the love of God. God does not owe us anything, not even our love. We can love Him and others because He first loved us and taught us what love is. His love makes us boldly call Him “Abba Father”.
When you experience the love of God, you are brought to repentance and cleansed thereby. Fear loses its power on you. As you meditate on today’s verse, think of all the ways you have seen God’s love. Think of the love that put Jesus’s fear of the cross behind and made Him gladly drink the cup of suffering for you and me.
