We Have Nothing to Fear
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 judgment; 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.
Peace is the absence of fear. As Christians, peace belongs to us, even though the devil would attempt to steal it from us through the sifting process or by sending tribulation our way to steal the Word from our hearts. What hinders us from experiencing that peace is anxiety. The knowledge of the Word gives us peace, especially when we know that, as believers, we have Jesus’ peace and His perfect love casts out all fear.
The fear of death may be the greatest source of anxiety in life, and it is deeply distressing when someone doesn’t know how they will face a holy, righteous and just God. God first loved us, and His perfect love is unconditional, meaning He loved us while we were yet sinners, imperfect and worthless. He knows our condition but still loves us regardless. God’s perfect love towards us gives us perfect peace and absolute security.
Believers are set free from fear because if God is not against us but for us, there is nothing to fear! Our salvation is purely by God’s abundant grace towards us, not by works. This means we cannot add anything to our salvation through our actions. Nothing can separate us from the love of God, whether in this life or in the life to come! If we are not anxious about death and have victory over it because of the blood of Jesus Christ, there is absolutely nothing we should be anxious about. If God can give us His only begotten Son, He will not withhold any good things from us.
The opening passage says, “as He is, so are we in this world”. The “He” in this verse refers to Jesus while He was walking on this earth. Jesus is righteous and holy; the Son of God connected to the Heavenly Father. “As He is” means we have access to all the spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.
Our sins have been forgiven because of the blood of Jesus, and we have the right to be His children (John 1:12). We are seen as righteous and holy because God sees us in Christ. Therefore, as Jesus is, so are we in this world, because of God’s love and Jesus’ work of atonement on the cross. This is a positional truth given to us in Christ that is unchanging. God’s perfect love has cast out the fear of death. If God accepts us, we are not afraid of death or of meeting God. This will grant us peace with God and enable us to experience God’s peace amid the storms of life.
Reflection: If you believe God has already given us perfect love and perfect peace, why are you still easily affected by fear or anxiety?
Sermon Series: 2026 CG Campaign – Up! (Part 2)
