Do you have a problem with fear?
The answer is not outside of you in the world. You cannot create peace from the outside, fixing your circumstances of fleeing from difficulty. The answer to our peace is in Christ.
For those who believe on Jesus Christ, the answer lies within.
From the Apostle John's First General Epistle:
"Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
"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.
"We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4:15-19)
"Perfect love casts out fear." That's the key.
But whose perfect love? Not mine, not yours, nor that of any other human being.
Here, "perfect love" is the translation for "teleia τελεία agapē ἀγάπη", where "τελεία" is better rendered by the following exegesis (from "scripturetext.com"):
"Cognate: 5046 téleios (an adjective, derived from 5056 /télos, "consummated goal") – mature (consummated) from going through the necessary stages to reach the end-goal, i.e. developed into a consummating completion by fulfilling the necessary process (spiritual journey). See 5056 (telos).
[This root (tel-) means "reaching the end (aim)." It is well-illustrated with the old pirate's telescope, unfolding (extending out) one stage at a time to function at full-strength (capacity effectiveness).]
"τελεία" is the same word that Jesus cried out on the Cross right before He gave up His Spirit:
"Τετέλεσται": "It has been finished!" What was finished? The wrath of God was fully released, our sin-debt was fully paid at the Cross. (cf John 19:30)
Therefore, this finished, this completed love, is God's love for us! From Christ's death we have full assurance. We need not fear death, or anything else, because God's wrath against us has been exhausted on His Son at the Cross once and for all.
Yet there are many who are still in fear, in spite of Christ's Finished Work. Why?
Because they either do not "know" His love, or they have not "believed" it. When we understand that God's love is specific, passionated, and never-ending for us, and not just generally for the whole world. Some acknowledge that God loves them, but they do not believe it, it has not been born in their spirit by the Holy Spirit:
"The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Romans 5: 5)
How does the Holy Spirit enter into us? When we confess "that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 4:15), for:
"Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." (1 Corinthians 12:3)
We receive the grace of God by faith, the Holy Spirit is imparted to us, therefore God dwells in us, and we therefore dwell in Him. For Jesus told His disciples before His Crufixion:
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:4-5)
Since we abide in Christ and He abides in us through the Holy Spirit, Jesus then said:
"It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." (John 16:7)
Because we abide in Him and He abides in us, we have boldness (cf 1 John 4:17) -- We are hid in Christ, we have become one with Him, and instead of seeing us alone, God the Father sees Christ, for:
"As he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17)
Is Christ afraid, sitting at the Right Hand of the Father? Of course not. Then neither are we.
Yet many will answer, "Yes, but I still feel afraid."
That is the mere testimony of our senses. In our spirit, we are perfected. Through the Holy Spirit, we receive God's perfect love, for love is a fruit of the Spirit.
When we walk by faith, seeing who we are in Christ through the eyes of faith, then we have nothing to fear, no reason to be afraid.
His perfect love is not conditional, but ongoing and neverending, shed abroad in our hearts as a fruit of the Spirit, a grace-gift which we cannot earn or merit, yet which we receive by faith!
Still, there are many believers who do not believe.
How then, can their unbelief be removed?
John explains:
"Fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18)
Why does have fear have "torment." In the original text, John writes "kolasin κόλασιν", a term which speaks of "chastisement, punishment, with the idea of deprivation."
What's another word for this length of terrible outcomes? Condemnation.
When a man feels that he deserves to be punished, when condemnation still weighs on a person, then he or she will feel fear.
Paul has refuted any reason for fear:
"1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:1)
If you are in Christ, there is no condemnation.
"Condemnation" is katakrima κατάκριμα, or punishment following condemnation
"No" in this verse renders "Ouden Οὐδὲν", which is an emphatic, undeterred, absolute negative, like "not at all" or "not one bit", "the door has closed on that, and will never be opened again," excluding any exceptions.
So, let's follow the spiritual chain of events:
We receive the grace of God by faith when we declare that Jesus is His Lord, and by His death we are forever reconciled to our Father.
Thus, we dwell in His love, for "God is Love" (1 John 4: 16), and His love dwells in us.
Because His love dwells in us as a fruit of grace receive by faith, this love casts out, thrusts out, all fear, for there is no more condemnation over us. As Christ Jesus is, so are we, for we are in Him. As long as we know and believe that by His stripes, by His death, He has absorbed all the condemnation we deserve, that He has died for us, we also have died with Him, and are now raised with Him, free of the sting of death, free of damning condemnation, and thus, we are free of any fear!
Fear comes from condemnation; but through God's perfect love, Christ died on the Cross, thus empowering us to die with Him, be freed of the curse of the law, and therefore be one with Him forever.
Now, what are you afraid of? Trust in His perfect love, and behold his perfect love cast out all fear in your life!
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