No Fear in Love: Perfect Love Casts Out Fear
As Christians, we should not obey Jesus to avoid going to hell, but because we love Him and have received His Spirit.
Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15
“And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.” 1 John 2:3
If fear becomes a motivation in the Christian walk, something is wrong, and a false teaching has crept in. God does not terrorize His children.
The apostle John, who is referred to as the disciple “whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23), wrote, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love. We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:18-19
A Christianity that’s based on punishment is not what Jesus died to give us. It is love that sent Him to the cross. He loves us. And when we understand that deeply, we can’t help but love Him and want to please Him. Obeying Him will be our joy. We will not obey Him to escape hell, but just because we love Him and His commands are not burdensome to us.
“But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:3
Fear-based Christianity leads to a life without joy, peace, and love.
People who are taught and believe this kind of fear-based Christianity are never happy. This is because they think God is just waiting to throw them into hell. They are always insecure and are constantly trying to do enough work to be accepted by God. They also have no real security in their relationship with God and believe that they can lose their salvation at any moment.
Usually, people who have this perspective of God also end up being very judgmental and controlling of others, including fellow Christians. Fear-based Christianity also tends to lead to legalism and works-based Christianity, and is a common factor in cults.
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Have you given your life to Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior? He loves us so much that he, our creator, left heaven and came to earth, died for us on the cross, taking our sins upon him so that we may be forgiven and receive his righteousness. He conquered death by rising from the dead and made a way for us who were dead in sin to be reconciled back to the Father (God). What’s more, he has prepared a wonderful home for us in Heaven, where those who love him and obey him will spend eternity with him. Learn more here about how to be born again and have eternal life after this brief life on earth.
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