The Aquila Report

Your independent source for news and commentary from and about conservative, orthodox evangelicals in the Reformed and Presbyterian family of churches

Corem Deo Pastor's Conference 2024
  • Biblical
    and Theological
  • Churches
    and Ministries
  • People
    in the News
  • World
    and Life News
  • Lifestyle
    and Reviews
    • Books
    • Movies
    • Music
  • Opinion
    and Commentary
  • General Assembly
    and Synod Reports
    • ARP General Synod
    • EPC General Assembly
    • OPC General Assembly
    • PCA General Assembly
    • PCUSA General Assembly
    • RPCNA Synod
    • URCNA Synod
  • Subscribe
    to Weekly Email
  • Biblical
    and Theological
  • Churches
    and Ministries
  • People
    in the News
  • World
    and Life News
  • Lifestyle
    and Reviews
    • Books
    • Movies
    • Music
  • Opinion
    and Commentary
  • General Assembly
    and Synod Reports
    • ARP General Synod
    • EPC General Assembly
    • OPC General Assembly
    • PCA General Assembly
    • PCUSA General Assembly
    • RPCNA Synod
    • URCNA Synod
  • Subscribe
    to Weekly Email
  • Search
Home/Biblical and Theological/Context Matters: Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

Context Matters: Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

John wanted his readers to be assured of their salvation.

Written by Ryan Higginbottom | Friday, June 19, 2020

John tells us why he wrote this epistle, so we can understand how the phrase “perfect love casts out fear” fits with his purpose. “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life”(1 John 5:13).

 

Perhaps you’ve heard that perfect love casts out fear. Maybe you’ve been told that Christians shouldn’t be scared of anything, no matter how large or small. Or maybe you’ve doubted your standing with God because of an anxiety that grips you.

Context matters. When we learn to read the Bible carefully—instead of picking out verses and phrases—we will see that some familiar passages mean much less than we thought.

The Context of 1 John 4

Let’s read this phrase “perfect love casts out fear” in its immediate context.

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. 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. 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. (1 John 4:16–18)

John explains what “fear” means in this passage. Fear has to do with punishment (verse 18), and perfect love pushes this fear away. When love is perfected in us, we can have confidence (instead of fear) for the day of judgment (verse 17).

The matter of understanding “perfect love” remains, but we also learn this through context. Love is perfected in those who abide in God and in whom God abides (1 John 4:16). “We know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit” (1 John 4:13). There is tangible evidence of God abiding in us—we love one another (1 John 4:12) and we confess that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 4:15). The love of God is the basis and motivation for our love for one another (1 John 4:11).

Read More

Related Posts:

  • The Fear of the Lord . . . for today?
  • 'Real Men Don’t Cry' And Other Myths About Masculinity, Male…
  • The Law of Love: New Covenant Primacy
  • Three Main Issues...
  • Review of "Rejoice and Tremble" By Michael Reeves

Subscribe, Follow, Listen

  • email-alt
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • apple-podcasts
  • anchor
Providence College
Belhaven University

Archives

Books

Special

God is Holy
  • About
  • Advertise Here
  • Contact Us
  • Donations
  • Email Alerts
  • Leadership
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Principles and Practices
  • Privacy Policy

Important:

Free Subscription

Aquila Report Email Alerts

Special

Letter of Jude
  • About
  • Advertise Here
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Principles and Practices
  • RSS Feed
  • Subscribe to Weekly Email Alerts
Providence Christian College - visit

DISCLAIMER: The Aquila Report is a news and information resource. We welcome commentary from readers; for more information visit our Letters to the Editor link. All our content, including commentary and opinion, is intended to be information for our readers and does not necessarily indicate an endorsement by The Aquila Report or its governing board. In order to provide this website free of charge to our readers,  Aquila Report uses a combination of donations, advertisements and affiliate marketing links to  pay its operating costs.

Return to top of page

Website design by Five More Talents · Copyright © 2023 The Aquila Report · Log in