7^th August

“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this show that we have not fully experienced His perfect love.”

1 John 4:18

When we were children and did something wrong, we lived in fear from the consequences of our actions, the wrath and the imminent punishment we would face if we were found out. That awareness of our wrong-doing caused us to fear the imminent punishment that was waiting for us.

Do you carry that same fear into your relationship with God?

John tells us that God’s love for us is so much, that not only did He overcome all sin in His death and resurrection, but overcame all fear. Because we live in God and He lives in us, that fear is expelled by His love. However, the fear that we face comes from not fully understanding God’s love for us. If we know that we are fully forgiven for our sins, then we have no reason to fear God’s wrath.

There is a difference between the Holy Spirit’s conviction and that of human guilt and condemnation that we put on ourselves. The human guilt and condemnation causes us to fear the consequences of our actions. Yet if we are to fully comprehend the love Christ has for us, then we realise that even when we do sin, Jesus’ love is evermore present and His grace is evermore abundant.

Yes sinning is wrong and causes division in our intimacy with Him, but it doesn’t change God’s love for us. It doesn’t change that fact that we were brought at such a high price, with the body and blood of Jesus’ Christ. We are His children. His love doesn’t change for us when we do wrong. It is consistent. It is because of this consistent love that we have no need to fear. We can just pick ourselves up again, lean on His grace and kindness and abide in His love.