“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18

Implication #3: we don't have to live in fear

What is fear?

Fear is often ugly, manifesting itself in ways that harm our sense of peace. Anxiety, worry, and terror are all results of fear hampering our mental health. What is not mentioned often (or, maybe I just don't hear it) is that our spiritual health plays an essential role in fear's impact on our lives. I think fear is generally caused by not knowing (with certainty) what is going to happen, what has happened, or what is happening. We worry after an autopsy is performed because we don't know if the doctor will come back with "cancer" or "not cancer". We stress when we cannot get in contact with our spouse because of what may or may not have happened to them while they were running errands. And we are terrorized by the creaking we hear in the ceiling above because we're unsure of what it could be. In all these things, there is fear in not knowing.

Love and fear

Perhaps thinking about fear in this way will help unlock John's meaning behind the phrase "perfect (or, complete) love casts out fear". The beloved disciple tells us that fear is related to punishment and, particularly, within the context of this section of the letter, punishment on the day of judgment. So, the fear is not knowing "will I be punished, or will I be rewarded?". Contemplating the difference between everlasting life versus everlasting death seems like a perfectly reasonable motive for fear. John, I think, recognizes this, which is why he wanted to assure his readers that there is no need to fear for the ones who are children of God, which is to say, the ones who love one another. Those who love one another are the ones who have understood and embraced the love of God. Only because God first loved us can we love Him and each other in the way commanded by Jesus. It is because of this love that God showed us that we can know there is no punishment for those who know Him—that is, those who have embraced Him, His son, and have His spirit working through them).

Doesn't stop at fear of punishment

But not being afraid of judgment day is only part of the story. We can live life without fear and its many manifestations. As Paul says in one of his letters, there can be a peace beyond comprehension. It seems easy to have peace when everything is going right for us, but it is quite rare for this state of serenity to last for more than a few moments. The real trick is to have peace at all times despite what is going on around you, despite not knowing everything that has happened, is happening, or will happen. The key is abiding in and trusting the One who made all things and will, through His son, make all things new.

For the one who believes and lives in the love of God, there is no fear because they know that God is going to one day redeem this broken world and that even if they suffer here and now, the never-ending glory experienced in the redeemed world will make anything faced now blur from focus and memory. What many of us fear now will have no power when one has placed their hope and life in the hands of a loving Father. The mark of a fearless child of God is that they love one another. If you aren't yet living without fear, worry, or anxiety, it seems like John would suggest it is because you haven't yet truly known the love of God and begun to live in that love and live it out. If that's the case, return to the gospel written by the beloved disciple (John) and read of the one who reveals God’s great love for us.

-Joel Fletcher