Revealed Week 13 // Love // Perfect Love
Day One
Over the past three weeks we’ve looked at how God has revealed his love from before the beginning, throughout the ages, and how it changes even the hardest of hearts. This week, I want to consider one last thing about God’s revealed love. Perfect love drives out fear.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear. Fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love (1 John 4:18).
In all areas of discipleship, we are on a journey. We are growing as disciples and learning to live as the overcomers we already are through the cross and resurrection of Jesus. Fear is one of those areas. If you are like me, we are fearless as disciples in many ways. But as new seasons and opportunities to grow in the Lord come, fear tags along.
In context, John is writing about the confidence we have on the day of Judgement because love has been perfected in us. But there are other layers of the text. He is also weaving in the result of love—abiding in God, loving God, and loving others. As we read, questions are raised. Does fear cripple you from growing as a disciple? Does fear keep you from loving others? Does fear keep you from trusting God with the small or big details of your life?
Fear frustrates me. Almost every wall I hit with God comes back to fear. (The other times are undoubtedly pride.) When I realize the home fear has made in my heart, I realize that I have not been made complete (perfect) in Christ. But! The hope of John’s letter is a promise: God is love, and it is perfect. As God continues to reveal his love (he never quits), it will drive out fear. The Greek word for “drive out” is ekballo and it is the same word used to describe Jesus delivering people with demons. Ekballo indicates a violent expulsion.* If I hate fear, it’s only an echo of the Father’s heart. He wants to drive it out, expel it from our lives. He won’t stand for it in his children, and will continue to speak his love into our hearts until fear is completely gone. There is no fear in love.
This week, as you read the following daily scriptures, ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart for fear. If it is found, ask Jesus to drive out the fear by speaking his love to your heart. Listen for his love. It may come as a whisper, through a friend’s words, or some other personalized way. He loves to love. Then, be thankful for the persistent work of love the Father does in our lives, teaching us to love in return.
* Mounce’s Complete Expository of New and Old Testament Words by William Mounce
©2018 Adrienne Scott
Day Two
1 John 4:7-12
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 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. In this is love, not that we lave loved god but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
Day Three
Matthew 8:14-17
And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”
Day Four
1 John 4:13-17
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in hum, and he in God. 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 God, and God abides in him.
Day Five
Matthew 22:34-40
But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Day Six
1 John 4:18-21
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. We love because he first loved us. Of 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. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Day Seven
Selah
Brave Sparrow 