The only fear I have is to fear to get out of the will of God. Outside of the will of God, there’s nothing I want, and in the will of God there’s nothing I fear, for God has sworn to keep me in His will. If I’m out of His will that’s another matter. But if I’m in His will, He’s sworn to keep me.
- AW Tozer
Prayer
Love Realized
1 John 4:15-18
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
phobia
- A persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it, despite the awareness and reassurance that it is not dangerous.
- A strong fear, dislike, or aversion.
- An irrational or obsessive fear or anxiety, usually of or about something particular.
Phobias are classified in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and recognized as a mental disorder and refer to a type of anxiety disorder characterized by the fear of a specific stressor. Here are some common phobias
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- Achluophobia – Fear of Darkness
- Aerophobia – Fear of Flying
- Agoraphobia – Fear of Open Spaces
- Arachnophobia – Fear of Spiders
- Aquaphobia – Fear of Drowning
- Athazagoraphobia – Fear of Being Forgotten
- Barophobia – Fear of Gravity
- Bathophobia – Fear of the Deep
- Bibliophobia – Fear of Books
- Catoptrophobia – Fear of Mirrors
- Chromophobia – Fear of Colors
- Claustrophobia – Fear of Small Spaces
- Cynophobia – Fear of Dogs
- Dentophobia – Fear of Dentists
- Disposophobia – Fear of Getting Rid of Things
- Enochlophobia – Fear of Crowds
- Equinophobia – Fear of Horses
- Ergophobia – Fear of Working
- Friggatriskaidekaphobia – Fear of Friday the 13th
- Galeophobia – Fear of Sharks
- Gamophobia – Fear of Marriage
- Gerascophobia – Fear of Getting Old
- Globophobia – Fear of Balloons
- Glossophobia – Fear of Speaking in Public
- Hemophobia – Fear of Blood
- Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia – Fear of Long words
- Hydrophobia – Fear of Water
- Hypochondria – Fear of Illness
- Iatrophobia – Fear of Doctors
- Insectophobia – Fear of Insects
- Koinoniphobia – Fear of Crowds
- Lilapsophobia – Fear of Tornadoes/Hurricanes
- Necrophobia – Fear of Death
- Nyctophobia – Fear of the Dark
- Obesophobia – Fear of Gaining Weight
- Ophidiophobia – Fear of Snakes
- Pantophobia – Fear of Everything
- Phobophobia – Fear of Phobias
- Pyrophobia – Fear of Fire
- Scolionophobia – Fear of School
- Scopophobia – Fear of being Stared at
- Somniphobia – Fear of Sleep
- Tachophobia – Fear of Speed
- Zoophobia – Fear of Animals
Let’s continue with our passage in 1 John 4….
1 John 4:7-21
God Is Love
[7] Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. [8] Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. [9] In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. [10] In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. [12] No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
[13] By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. [14] And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. [15] Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. [16] So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. [17] By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. [18] There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. [19] We love because he first loved us. [20] If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. [21] And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
What do you think drives your behavior every day?
What dictates your mood?
Is it your circumstances?
That could include your health, emotions, wants, needs, ..right?
So if I had a big wad of money. That seems like it might help a lot, right? It could fix the air on my truck and Samuel’s fuel pump and new tires on Marcia’s car! Or maybe it could buy me new clothes, or a nice steak? That has an effect on mood.
I wonder what drives us to that other stuff? Again, nothing wrong with a nice house, boat, car, RV, swimming pool, etc. but there’s much to acquiring things to comfort us. Heck we work hard, it’s earned. The Bible is good with work, in fact it commands it. So let’s not confuse things about work and stuff; however, deep down we know that none of that stuff will matter in the end.
But what if I’m sick? It can help me pay the doctor, but that doesn’t necessarily cure me, right? And reality is that if my health fails, then I don’t really care if I got a new suit, or a bigger TV.
So then there are conditions impacting all of this? Maybe it’s the human condition to worry? What does that stem from? Control? Some deep seated need from our childhood? FEAR?
What should dictate our mood, behavior, actions? I know you’re in church so it’s a slam dunk kinda answer, but what really matters?
Let’s look at our passage and break it down into three ideas and see how God’s Word provides us answers for our questions.
Did you notice the word love in our passage? It’s mentioned 27 times here in these 14 verses (agape – pure willful sacrificial love) mmmmmm something to notice.
Idea 1: Know God
1 John 4:7-11
[7] Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. [8] Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. [9] In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. [10] In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
God loves you so much that he sent his Son to die for our sins. V10
You did nothing to earn it. You can’t. Our best work is as filthy rags. There’s comfort here in that. If you really love someone do they have to earn it? If so, that’s not love. But if you really love someone you will do anything for them. Jesus did that for you and me.
Love him, love one another. If we don’t love then we don’t know God. He’s not hard to find. He came for us. Assurance
Idea 2: See God
Exodus 33:17-23
[17] And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” [18] Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” [19] And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. [20] But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” [21] And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, [22] and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. [23] Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”
So how can I see Him?
1 John 4:12-16
[12] No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
[13] By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. [14] And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. [15] Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. [16] So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
Trust in the Son, Jesus. Love each other and show it. Do you have to see your loved ones to love them? Baby on the way? Family member who has passed away? This is about seeing love for what it does and accomplishes! You see it everyday and if you don’t that is harmful to your soul. We need love and we need to share love and we certainly need God’s love. Assurance
Idea 3: Feel God
How can I feel God?
1 John 4:17-21
[17] By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. [18] There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. [19] We love because he first loved us. [20] If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. [21] And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Love is mentioned 27 times. The other word in this passage that keeps repeating is… fear. The Greek word for that “Phobia”
I think we tend to think irrational fear a lot when we think of Phobia, but we all have fears, and what might be rational to me, might seem irrational to you. I’m not suggesting we have a moving target on definitions or words, or truth for that matter. I am saying that the way we view things affects our ability to think rightly. That really impacts that question that I asked earlier. “What drives your behavior everyday?”
So if it is the circumstances then let me reset your perspective. The circumstance of someone who doesn’t know God has a much greater seriousness than that of a believer….yet, we believers have all these things sitting here for us, right?
Health
Job
Kids
Parents
Bills
Marriage
Friends
They’re all real…but look here at what John says.
1 John 4:17-18
[17] By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. [18] There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
So circumstances can be real and be painful. Scripture doesn’t tell us that we left all that behind, we still live in the world (a broken one). But what it tells us is that we can have confidence, there is no fear in love. Instead of feeling the fear, let’s feel God’s love and show it to others.
We can trust in a loving Lord. He will walk us through this. Do you fear judgement? The Judgement? There are two. The white throne and the bema.
One that separates believers and non believers. This is heaven or hell.
John 5:24
[24] Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
The one being referenced here is not that one. It’s to believers, this is the bema seat.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15
[12] Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—[13] each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. [14] If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. [15] If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
It has to do with rewards and loss.
If we look at this with dread then we don’t understand love. Fear and punishment go together….we find punishment itself in fearing. We don’t trust our Father to love and protect us. Jesus did the work for us all okay? Know, see and feel Him. He loves you. Blessed Assurance.
Psalm 118:6
[6] The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
“When we fear God, we have nothing else to fear.”
