“Fear Not!”

 

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…”

—1 John 4:18

The recent Supreme Court decision favoring the right of closely held, family corporations to opt out of providing the four of twenty birth control methods that abort a fetus—on the basis of the religious beliefs of the owners of the company—has caused an outcry. In their fear, many scream, “Where is love? Why don’t these Christians love women enough to pay for ALL forms of birth control, even those four methods that effectively abort a newly formed fetus? There’s a war on women!”

Discussions regarding the philosophical underpinnings of this controversy will need to wait for another day. But the outcry does show how divisive fear can become.

The outcry also illustrates how the word “love” can become misused by those who do not take into account the whole counsel of God. God’s love is an extremely important quality. But love is not God’s only quality. His love does not trump His justice, or His mercy, or His grace, or His jealousy.

Yes, God tells us in Exodus 20 that He is a jealous God, not willing to share our worship with other gods. These other gods includes the god of fear.

So many evil things take place in our lives that are promoted by fear. We must determine to not bow down and worship at the feet of fear.

Take note how love and fear are connected, as found in 1 John 4:16-19:

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.

In the most loving way possible, I urge you to flee whenever fear calls your name. Don’t worship at the feet of the god of fear.

Let God’s love draw you irresistibly into His mercy and grace, never forgetting that He is a jealous God who wants you to worship Him and Him alone.

 

_{Copyright © 2014 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

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