Part 1 of a conversation about fear and love. These two show up in my everyday life as two paths and promises on how to get what I want out of life. The biblical authors seemed to see the same war at play.
At first glance, "do not fear" sounds like pretty insensitive and unhelpful advice. It smells of spiritual bypassing. Why is it repeated so many times, by God, to his people, all through the story of the Bible? Writers like John seem to pick up on the absolute necessity of taking this into account by contrasting what it means to be perfected by the love of God rather than enslaved by fear. Fear shows up in everybody's life, every single day, in much more subversively subtle ways than horror movies would have us believe. The invitation of Jesus could be summarized as being freed from our systems of fear so that we might be liberated and governed by the love of God. Fear and love are in direct opposition as teachers on how to live.
1 John 4v15-18 NIV
"If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."
Thanks so much for joining me!
Contact me: jordansleed@icloud.com
