There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love" (I Jn. 4:18). This is a scripture of enormous significance. In fact it's really hard to top for significance. The key to understanding the importance of this verse from the beloved apostle is realizing that the word 'perfect' means 'complete.' Pretty simplistic, huh? I think so, and God is a lover of simplicity, himself being the most simplistic being in existence. Yes, the wisest, most powerful, and most vast person in existence; but yet the most simplistic as well. So let's look at the simplicity of the vast power and significance of this verse: The truth of the matter is that if our heart is not complete, or totally filled with God's Spirit, fear will be the first ungodly element that shows up in our spirit. In the same chapter as our text verse, John gives us another scripture of great importance, and quite a renowned verse at that: "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love" (I Jn. 4:8). Yes, for sure "God is love," and if our heart is filled with his Spirit then it is filled with his love; for indeed his Spirit IS his love, because it is his divine nature and life. The Bible also confirms that for us: "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (Rom. 5:5). Your spirit and my spirit are what constitutes who and what we are, meaning our personality. We are made in the image of God, so God's Spirit is his personality and constitutes who and what he is. That goes for both the Father and the Son, for they both have the same Spirit. Our human spirit comes from Adam, therefore we have the same substantial human spirit; yet each of our spirits are individualized, giving us distinction as individuals. That is how it is with God and his Son. They both consist of holy Spirit, but they have individualized spirits, making them distinct individuals.

So both the Father and the Son are 'love,' and likewise it is our calling to be love as well. That is why the apostle Paul cited the following: "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Gal. 5:14). That is also why Jesus gave us this all-integral instruction: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (Jn. 13:34,35). As followers of Jesus there can be no other calling, because his very nature is the love of God, as is the case with the Father. God's love is holy, and it is not the same as human love. This is what so many people who profess faith in Christ really need to understand. There is no partiality in the love of God, neither will the love of God compromise with anything or anyone that is contrary to God's love and holiness. It is fear that causes people to be partial in their dealings with other people, and it is fear that causes God's people to compromise his standard of holiness with things and people who are contrary to his holiness and love. Human love will be partial to those who are held in personal favor, and human love will compromise holiness because human love isn't holy. Jesus gave us the example of human love, and at the same time told us what kind of love we have to live in if we are to be the true children of God: "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you... And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same" (Lk. 6:27,28,31-33).

This all comes back around to a very simplistic, and very powerful statement that Jesus made in that same sermon: "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" (Mat. 5:8). The word 'pure' means 'unmixed,' so pure is the same thing as 'complete,' as it relates to our heart. The heart that is incomplete in God's love is naturally going to fear circumstances and people of this life, and that is why John used the example of fear for someone who is not "made perfect in love." So the heart and soul of our calling, as we have seen from the Bible, is to have a heart that is complete in God's love. We are literally filled with the love of God when we are baptized with the holy Ghost, because we have seen here from the Bible that the holy Ghost IS the love of God, being his life and his nature (Jn. 5:26; Jn. 10:10; Rom. 8:2). If we live in a spiritual condition that is complete in the love of God, then we are going to fulfill our calling and purpose of truly glorifying Jesus, and manifesting him to this world. If we do not keep ourselves in that condition then we are going to fall short of our calling and purpose, and also we will not be saved if we die in an incomplete condition. See what the scripture says about anyone who dies with worldly fear in their heart: "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" (Rev. 2:8). If we are complete in God's love then it is only because we have received his Spirit by grace through faith, and not because of anything that we have caused to happen (Eph. 2:8). What we need is to continue to rely wholly on the holiness and power of his grace, so that we can REMAIN FILLED with his Spirit; in which case it is he who is living in us and through us, glorifying himself in our lives.

The apostle Paul knew that Christ literally living in us is the only true Gospel, and the only way to actually glorify Jesus in the earth: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). This living, powerful reality is why Jesus suffered and died for our sake. The key to fulfilling our calling just comes down to Proverbs 4:23: "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." And it comes down to 1 John 3:3: "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." In order to do this we must retain total honesty of heart, and we must continue to pray the wrong things out of our hearts, and pray the right things into our hearts. It really is that simple. If we labor in that endeavor we will continue in, and grow in the 'perfect love' that John spoke of. Not only so, but that is also the only way we will be without fearfulness about things in this life. If we do NOT "keep [our] hearts with all diligence," and if we do NOT purify [ourselves], even as he is pure;" we will be guilty of things like partiality and compromising holiness, because we will fear people, even if we only fear what they think. The lack of worldly fear is what enabled Jesus to be faithful unto death, as well as Stephen, the apostles, and countless others since them. The saints that we do not hear so much about are those whose faith and love withered, who feared men, and were therefore NOT faithful unto death. Jesus gave it to us straight on this matter, as he did with all matters: "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mat. 16:24-26). I think that says it for now.