"Come out of hiding, you're safe here with Me."
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment."
I never hear the last part of this scripture talked about. We always say that love casts out fear and leave it at that. I feel like I didn't even know that verse continued on to mention punishment.
See, this scripture is specifically talking about fear in our relationship with God. Over and over in the passage, John reminds us that God first loved us, not that we first loved Him. So, in this sweet, beautiful relationship with God, there is no fear because He chose to love us and because He is not going to punish us.
We have bought the lie that we have to be suspicious and defensive in order to protect ourselves from hurt. We have bought the lie that intimacy leads to punishment and that if we bare our souls, they will be rejected.
But He loves you. Truly, He loves you. You are not punished for who you are or what you've done, but rather you are loved with an outrageous love that reaches down into the cave-like chasm of your hiding and your shame and your fear. He loves you right there in that secret place of your heart.
He sees all of those things you're afraid of right at this moment, even as you try to hide them or ignore them. There's no need to feel fear over Him finding something out, because He already knows. He promises you that if you'll just let Him in and receive the love He's trying to put in that place, the fear will go away. Because He said that love drives out fear, so if you let the love in, the fear can't stay.
John goes on to say that "the one who fears is not made perfect in love."
He didn't say "the one who is fearful is in trouble because God is mad at him for not being right before Him." John says they're not yet made perfect. There's still room in you that God's trying to reach.
The Lord wants to make you perfect. He's waiting for you in that secret, hidden place. He is love. He wants you to be complete in His love. He wants you to stop being afraid that you'll be punished if you come close to Him. He loves you, He loves you, He loves you. He wants you and He knows you. He wants to restore that intimacy that is supposed to exist between the two of you. He knows those secret things you're holding behind your back like a scared child waiting in fear of getting in trouble. And he doesn't want you to hold onto those things anymore.
He says to come out of hiding. He says you're safe in His love.
I never hear the last part of this scripture talked about. We always say that love casts out fear and leave it at that. I feel like I didn't even know that verse continued on to mention punishment.
See, this scripture is specifically talking about fear in our relationship with God. Over and over in the passage, John reminds us that God first loved us, not that we first loved Him. So, in this sweet, beautiful relationship with God, there is no fear because He chose to love us and because He is not going to punish us.
We have bought the lie that we have to be suspicious and defensive in order to protect ourselves from hurt. We have bought the lie that intimacy leads to punishment and that if we bare our souls, they will be rejected.
But He loves you. Truly, He loves you. You are not punished for who you are or what you've done, but rather you are loved with an outrageous love that reaches down into the cave-like chasm of your hiding and your shame and your fear. He loves you right there in that secret place of your heart.
He sees all of those things you're afraid of right at this moment, even as you try to hide them or ignore them. There's no need to feel fear over Him finding something out, because He already knows. He promises you that if you'll just let Him in and receive the love He's trying to put in that place, the fear will go away. Because He said that love drives out fear, so if you let the love in, the fear can't stay.
John goes on to say that "the one who fears is not made perfect in love."
He didn't say "the one who is fearful is in trouble because God is mad at him for not being right before Him." John says they're not yet made perfect. There's still room in you that God's trying to reach.
The Lord wants to make you perfect. He's waiting for you in that secret, hidden place. He is love. He wants you to be complete in His love. He wants you to stop being afraid that you'll be punished if you come close to Him. He loves you, He loves you, He loves you. He wants you and He knows you. He wants to restore that intimacy that is supposed to exist between the two of you. He knows those secret things you're holding behind your back like a scared child waiting in fear of getting in trouble. And he doesn't want you to hold onto those things anymore.
He says to come out of hiding. He says you're safe in His love.
Comments
Post a Comment