Fear or Love

1 John 4:16And 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 him.

1 John 4:18There 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.

In the movie sleeping with the enemy, Julia Roberts plays a victim of abuse. Her husband expects perfection and if he doesn't get it she is punished harshly. She walks in fear daily trying her best to please him. The tiniest mistake will cause him to spin into a fit of rage. In fear, she obeys his every command.

This is not the type of relationship the Lord our God wants with us. Our Heavenly Father is the God of love. This is something as Christians, that we know in our hearts and we rely upon in our daily walk. Yes, God is our Judge, but he is a fair Judge and he has provided a plan for redemption. He knows our nature is sin and that we will fall short of His glory, but He demonstrates His love for us by sending His son as an atoning sacrifice and thus providing a plan for redemption. Therefore, we need not fear the day of judgment.

Our obedience does not come from a fear of God’s wrath, but from love. His love fills us and we are able to let it shine through our lives. When we receive the Christ as our Savior, we become a new creation. A change begins to take place and the acts of sinful nature - sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, etc, are replaced with the fruits of the spirit - love, patience, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, & self control (Galatians 5). This isn’t a magical metamorphosis. It comes from a true knowledge of love that grows over time. It comes from conviction from the Holy Spirit and a desire to be obedient. If we delight in the Lord, His desires become our desires. (Psalm 37:4) and we begin to make choices that glorify God. We obey Him in love, not in fear – “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” (2 John 1:6).

Should we fear the Lord? Yes, in the sense of having a strong respect and reverence for Him. Yes, we should have a personal awareness of the awesome and majestic sovereignty of God. But we shouldn’t live our lives afraid that every mistake we make is one step toward losing the love of God and thus our salvation. That type of fear would stifle a loving relationship. If God abides in us, and we in Him, we should know that He loves us and His plans for us are good (Jeremiah 29:11). We fear God in that we know He is my judge, but we also know that in love, He has given us an opportunity to be redeemed.

So I ask you…are you walking in fear or walking in love? Do others see that love shining through in your actions. Ask the Lord to continue to fill you up with His love and to show you how to pour it out to others. Thank Him for His demonstration of love at the cross.

Today's blog is posted by Bridge member Kelly Coxe

PS. If you are receiving this blog by email, please click the link below and join the discussion. Share your thoughts, comments, stories, prayers and praise, etc.