Love Casts out Fear – 1 John 4:18
Introduction
A. We live in times of fear in 2020. A major fear that we must confront is the fear of an epidemic, the Covid19 virus. We have watched the death of loved ones and heard of many others.
B. 1 John 4:18 has been used by some Christians to justify a reproach of those who believe that a saved person can be lost. Those who fear Judgment Day and fear displeasing our living God are accused of not loving God enough, because “perfect love casts out fear.”
C. The message of John’s letters does not support in any way the cursed doctrine of “once saved always saved” in any shape, form, or fashion. The message is clear: you do not have God (2 John 9), or know God(1 John 2:3-4), or abide in God(1 John 2:5-6; 3:4-6), if you do not obey God. (1 John 2:15-17)
D. There is another likely interpretation of 1 John 4:18.
I. Some fears are evil, and others are good. The fear of God is throughout the Bible good, even necessary.
A. The context is found in the paragraph of 1 John 4:13-21.
-- “12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 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. 17 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. 18 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. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If 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[a] love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
B. The key word in 1 John 4:18 is “punishment,” the Greek word, KOLASIN.
1. Bauer’s Lexicon in German, translated by Arndt and Gingrich has two entries. The first is, “1. Lit. … undergo punishment, … long continued torture, … of the martyrdom of Jesus, … The smelling of the odor arising from sacrifices ironically described as punishment, injury. 2. Of divine retribution, … of Of eternal damnation, … go away into eternal punishment (Matt 25:46) ….”
2. The fear that is cast out refers to what might hinder the active love of our brother. The love that is perfected toward one another casts out fear. The fear of persecution, the punishment for perfect love for our brother. Jesus endured the cross out of perfect love for us His brothers.
II. We are driven by many fears that hinder our faithfulness to God.
A. Revelation 21:8, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
1. What do you suppose the cowardly are afraid of?
2. Afraid of all that we read about in the letters of John, Peter, and Paul: the price of love and faith in the Gospel.
B. The fear of drawing near
1. To God, Hebrews 4:16 (7:19; James 4:8; Isaiah 29:13)
2. To brethren, Hebrews 10:22-25.
C. Fear of strangers and the “unclean.”
1. Acts 10:28
2. Galatians 2:9-12
D. Fear of the unknown, superstition, bad luck, good luck charms.
1. Science versus superstition: science often compromised by politics and greed.
2. Fear plays on our emotions and our protective instincts. It is very divisive.
3. We must confront the risk factors.
E. Fear of evangelism.
1. Love and faith overcomes fear.
2. We are in God’s hands.
3. We are soldiers in combat