Love Unconquerable that Conquers all Fear

In the past, I used to fear a lot. I would get so worked up, sometimes for no apparent reason.

A friend of mine reminded me of an important scripture:

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)

Fine. that made sense to me. Whatever I was afraid of, that fear was not of God. No longer would I focus on trying to explain away a specific fear, but determine within myself not to be afraid.

Yet even that was not enough. I knew that the fear was baseless, but the knowledge of this fact did not drive fear away.

Then I read in 1John 4:18:

"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."

When I first read this passage, I thought that as long as I loved perfectly, then I would not be afraid.

But I cannot love perfectly. Only God is good.

The answer to this problem lies in the next verse:

"We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19) This verse literally communicates, "We love because he first loved us."

We cannot love without His first loving us! He loves us, and by His love we can therefore love others.

And His love is perfect.

"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."

How can we have boldness? Through the death of His Son Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, that we would be made the righteousness of God, forever reconciled to His Father and now our Father.

Perfect Love God, having sent His son to die for us. Perfect love is not something that we do, but rather something that we receive by faith ( cf Ephesians 2:8)

When I looked over the events in my life, when I was afraid, I had thought that He was not there for me.

Scripture has made it abundantly clear that God does not abandon us:

"Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." (Isaiah 49:15)

and

" He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5)

Then what was the problem? I did not believe that God loved me, passionately and unconditionally.

Yet if there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, in whom I am made the righteousness of God, then I have nothing to fear!

When I believe on His word, that He loves me, that He lives in me, and that He will never leave me, then I am forever relieved, receiving His grace with all the fruits of the Spirit, and through me He achieves all things.

Therefore, by His love, in Him Himself, I can boldly declare:

"I am more than a conqueror through him that loved me!" (Romans 8:37)