LIVING LOVED
Susan Murray
Today’s Scripture: “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” 1 John 4:18, NLT
Theme: Perfect love expels all fear.
LIVING IN FEAR
Fear is a most uncomfortable feeling. It just happens; fear of loss, pain, poverty or sickness to name just a few. Fear of saying the wrong words or fear of “doing it” wrong, resulting in judgment or rejection. When I am fearful, I hide. I remember being in a college history class, not fully understanding the professor, so I wrote a question mark beside my notes. He was standing right in front of me and said, “Why don’t you ask your question now?” Yikes! I had planned to ask after class, because I feared that I was the only one who didn’t understand and would look foolish, causing shame.
The Bible says a lot about fear. We see fear for the first time in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve sinned against God. They immediately felt shame, so they covered themselves and hid from God. Throughout the Bible you can read of people experiencing different fears.
WHY I AM AFRAID?
The greatest fear is not measuring up to standards, either those set by God, family, society, church, or even our own. At Celebrate Recovery, people admit to initially being afraid to share because they fear being judged. Yet once they hear others who have the same issues, they feel safe to be vulnerable and share realizing they will not be judged.
We say we know that God loves us and saved us, but we walk around still feeling guilty. It’s like being in a courtroom, waiting for the judge to slam his gavel down, declaring us guilty (Tim Keller). It is so easy to know the words of the Gospel but forget its reality. The heart’s pull to be right with God and others by living up to these standards-earning our way to Him-is still strong in us. The Bible calls it self-righteousness and unbelief. Our fear and pride lead us to think that it’s up to us to get our lives right, but we can’t (Romans 7:14-25). Yet, God has an answer. Better yet, He is the answer to every fear.
LIVING LOVED
God is love (1 John 4:8 ESV). He never fails to love. His very nature is love and it is unconditional. Knowing that as an intellectual concept versus experiencing His love as a reality, is like the “difference between being told honey is sweet and actually tasting honey’s sweetness” (C.S. Lewis). When we experience His love (Psalm 34:8), fear of His judgment melts away. His love gives us the gift of a clean conscience. The only block to this experience is the lie we sometimes tell ourselves, saying, “I’m not that bad”, or “At least I’m not as bad as this other person” (Luke 18:9-14).
Freedom from fear comes by first admitting every fear, unbelief, and sin. Then we can be raised up by looking at Jesus, Who shows His love for us by dying on the cross, paying our debt. The gavel in the courtroom came down on Him instead of us, even though He did not deserve it and we did. Listen to the words of Jesus to His disciple, “doubting” Thomas, in John 20:27b, NIV: “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Make It Personal: What do you fear? Do you still feel guilty? Is it nebulous or specific? Vague guilt and fear is not of God. The Spirit will not condemn but convict, leading to heart change and freedom. Repent and believe. Keep looking at Jesus until His perfect love frees you.
Pray: God, I thank You that You are our loving Father. You are no longer our judge, because Your judgment came down on Jesus in our place. Forgive us for living as orphans, as though You are not willing to come to our aide when we doubt and are afraid. You desire nothing more than to fill us with Your love until we rest, feeling secure in Your arms. Give us new grace today to taste the sweetness of Your love.
Read: John 14:25-27; Romans 8:1,15; 1 John 1:8-9, 2:1-2; 3:19
Weekly Memory Verse:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me. Psalm 23:4, ESV