1 John 4:18 18There is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment, but the one who fears has not be perfected in love.
Love and fear are opposites. Fear pushes people away, but love brings them together. Fear drives a lot of what we do in life. Some people may not label it “fear” because the word itself is strong. Love is also a strong motive for much of what we do. We might label this “desire” or even “hope.” We can define love in human terms, but it will deteriorate back to fear. The type of love John is writing about is resourced by God’s love for us and should be the same type of love. This love is our response to God’s love shown in faith and obedience. Imperfect love is tainted with fear because it is influenced by self-preservation. Perfect love is about giving of oneself unconditionally in the same way Jesus gave of himself on the cross. Perfect (teleia) love has reached the point of where the self has been crucified with Christ, and the person has full faith and confidence in God’s promises. Love becomes “complete” when its source is God and its object is the neighbor and even the enemy.
When we become channels of God’s love, we will experience inner healing of our hearts through forgiveness and cleansing, which will affect our attitude and actions. The fear of punishment is replaced with the hope and assurance of love. Love can replace the fear that is part of human existence. In athletic terms, instead of being defensive to protect ourselves (from disease, poverty, hunger, broken relationships, and the many other things that cause fear), we are on the offense and positive, moving outward towards the goal of Christlikeness propelled by love. Love becomes our motive and resource for holy living. We can stand before God with openness and humility. We do not need to fear what the future holds—particularly, our eternal outcome, but we can stand on the solid ground of the hope that the Holy Spirit is growing within us as we grow in the likeness of Jesus.