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Proverbs 1:33 But whoso hearkens [to hear and
obey] to me [Wisdom][God's voice] shall dwell securely and in confident trust
and shall be quiet, without fear or dread of evil.
1 John 4:18 says
that perfect love casts out all fear. How do we get the love that casts
out all fear?
Read 1 John 4:7-18 from the Amplified Bible.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love
is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of
God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and
recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him].
8 He who does not love has not become
acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love.
9 In this the love of God was made manifest
(displayed) where we are concerned: in that God sent His Son, the only begotten
or unique [Son], into the world so that we might live through Him.
Verses
9 and 10 says He loved us through His cross.
10 In this is love: not that we loved God,
but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice)
for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God loved us so [very much],
we also ought to love one another.
12 No man has at any time [yet] seen
God. But if we love one another, God abides (lives and remains) in us and
His love (that love which is essentially His) is brought to completion (to its
full maturity, runs its full course, is perfected) in us!
Verse 12 says that
His love in us is perfected by our acts of loving others. The only way we
can love others is by taking up our cross. That may simply mean becoming
unselfish, or it may mean forgiving others who have hurt us, even our enemies.
When we take up our
cross, the remnant of our old nature is put away, including fear. When
all that is left remaining in us is Jesus' nature, fear no longer can haunt you.
13 By this we come to know (perceive,
recognize, and understand) that we abide (live and remain) in Him and He in us:
because He has given (imparted) to us of His [Holy] Spirit.
14 And [besides] we ourselves have seen (have
deliberately and steadfastly contemplated) and bear witness that the Father has
sent the Son [as the] Savior of the world.
15 Anyone who confesses (acknowledges, owns)
that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides (lives, makes His home) in him and he
[abides, lives, makes his home] in God.
16 And we know (understand, recognize, are
conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put
faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who
dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and
continues in him.
17 In this [union and communion with Him]
love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have
confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and
boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear
in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns
fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with
it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the
full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love's complete perfection].
Are you hounded by fear? Find someone
unlovely to love, and watch fear evacuate your life.
Larry Chkoreff