Secure in His Love
ICS Daily Devotions
1 John 4:17-19 (NKJV) Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.
When someone is burdened by a challenging life event, simply telling them not to worry or feel anxious can sometimes sound unreasonable and harsh. Therefore, it is more of a loving reminder than a command. While peace belongs to believers, the devil also tries to steal it from us through the sifting process (Luke 31:22) or by sending tribulations our way to steal the Word from our hearts (Matthew 13:21). What hinders us from experiencing that peace is anxiety.
When we face challenges, questions arise, such as “What have I done to bring about this problem?” Sometimes, we are reaping what we have sown in the flesh, in which case repentance is necessary. However, another common question is, “Is God punishing me for something I have done?”. What they are essentially asking is, “Is this how God perceives me?” or “Is God angry with me?” It is tormenting when we are unsure of God’s love. Therefore, as believers, we must settle the truth about how God perceives us so we can be certain that God is not against us because it is God’s desire for us to experience perfect love and perfect peace.
The fear of death is possibly the greatest anxiety in life, especially when someone doesn’t know how they can face a holy, righteous, and just God. We need to remember that God first loved us; His perfect love for us is unconditional; He loved us while we were sinners, imperfect and worthless.
The opening Scripture states, “as He is, so are we in this world”. The “He” refers to Jesus during His time on earth. Jesus is righteous and holy; He is the Son of God. For believers, the benefit of “as He is” is received through all the spiritual blessings in Christ because they have caused us to be accepted by God (Ephesians 1:3-6). We are redeemed, and our sins have been forgiven because of the blood of Jesus. We have the right to be His children (John 1:12) and are seen as righteous and holy because God the Father sees us in Christ. The blood of Jesus that was shed for us gave us the right standing with God. Therefore, as Jesus is, so are we in this world. This is the love of God and what Jesus has achieved for us. It is an unchanging positional truth.
God’s perfect love has cast out the fear of death—death has lost its sting. If God accepts us, we are not fearful of death or of meeting God. The absence of fear is peace. God’s perfect love towards us gives us perfect peace and absolute security in His love.
Sermon Series: Relaxed and Composed
