1 John 4:7-21 is all about love – the love God has for the world in sending Christ to be the propitiation for sin and the love we can have for God through Christ.
We have previously dealt quite a bit with love in 1 John, so the focus of this post will be 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”
In love made perfect, there is no fear of punishment. On this point, we can begin with Matthew 3:7. There, we see (1) Christ pronounce judgment on those who rejected God’s law and (2) “wrath to come.” There is a foretelling by Christ of a wrath to come, of pending punishment. 1 John 4:7-21 makes the argument that our love for God is made perfect through righteousness in Christ. If we have love, we are abiding in God and following His commandments. Where there is no violation of the law, there is no fear of punishment. Romans 13:2-3, 1 Peter 2:14
I have no fear of the radar trap on the highway when I am following the speed limit in my vehicle. I love the law, and through both my love for the law and righteousness in keeping the law, there is no fear of punishment. Any fear we may have is designed to drive us to Christ.
In love made perfect, punishment is not warranted. The long arm of the law is justified in giving me a speeding citation if indeed my vehicle speed exceeds the posted limit. Punishment is waiting, and wrath is coming. However, 1 John 4:7-21 makes the argument that when our love is made perfect in God there is no punishment. Thus, there is boldness and confidence to stand before the throne of Christ.
We are first justified and our sin is forgiven through the death of Christ on the cross. From there, we must abide in God through love, and this love is made perfect through our obedience to God’s law and our love for fellow humanity. We should understand, however, that none of this is possible on our own power, for such would be of works. In verse 10, John writes, “…not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son…” In verse 19, John writes, “We love, because He first loved us.” It is God’s love which gives us the power and strength to love Him in return, and it is through God that we can have confidence. The very idea of the Greek word agape for love is love which is capable of being returned, and this love only originates from God. Also, our confidence arises only through Christ’s atoning death on the cross. By accepting His sacrifice as an atonement for our sin, we are justified through Christ, not of our own merit or works.
Fear made perfect paralyzes, and when paralyzed, there is no action. Love demands action, and love made perfect does act. In 1 John 4:21 (also in verse 11), John writes, “And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.” In 1 John 4:16, John writes, “And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
In downtown Asheville, North Carolina, there are signs and graffiti saying, “All we need is love.” Perfect love is a love for God unmixed with any love for the world, and this form of love abides in God. Anything less than this is not abiding in God.
We can only abide in God through obedience to His commandments. Thus, the action demanded is obedience to God’s commandments and love for fellow humanity. Love made perfect is manifested through our obedience to God and love for fellow humanity. Fear made perfect involves no action, for fear only paralyzes. Rational responses often escape the mind when fear settles upon us.
Our fear of the wrath to come is designed to drive us to Christ. It is designed to expose our sinfulness and to open our eyes to our separation from God. A question often asked by John Wesley and built into the early Methodist church was, “Do you desire to flee from the wrath to come, and to be saved from your sins?” This question was the grounds for participation in church, and fleeing the wrath to come involves a response of the whole heart. After all, we cannot love fellow humanity or obey God’s commandments with half-heartedness. A half-way love for others is not perfect love. Perfect requires wholeness and completeness, with nothing lacking.
John Wesley often preached on fleeing the wrath to come, and it is found in many of his sermons. While driving, when we see a “bridge out” sign, we understand that to proceed involves serious injury, significant property damage, and likely death. Continuing forward is irrational. Thus, we heed the warning signs to detour on an alternate route. Matthew 3:7 is our warning sign that wrath is coming, and people like John Wesley warn us to flee this wrath. Christ foretold us of a wrath to come, not that it would paralyze us in fear, but that it would drive us to Him.
Like this post? Subscribe to stay up to date on new posts.