No fear in love

"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

This morning I came to understand a little more of what this verse is teaching (actually all of verses 7-21). I have been reading Spiritual Depression by D Martyn Lloyd Jones. It has been so good. I just finished reading the chapter on fear of the future, something that I regularly struggle with and seem to be so easily tempted in. The following quote was so helpful for me. After reading it, I pulled out my Bible and read 1 John 4 and felt I had such a better understanding of this chapter and was so much more equipped to engage the Spirit's help in this area. I'm grateful!

"For what after all, is the main ccause of this spirit of fear? The answer is 'self' - self-love, self-concern, self-protection. Had you realized that the essencce of this trouble is that these fearful people are really too absorbed in self - how can I do this, what if I fail? 'I' - they are constantly turning in upon themselves, looking at themselves and concerned about themselves. And it is just here that the spirit of love comes in, for there is only one way to get rid of yourself. There is only one cure for self....

There is only one way to get rid of self, and that is that you should become so absorbed in someone or something else that you have no time to think about yourself. Thank God, the Spirit of God makes that possible. He is not only 'the spirit of power', but He is also 'the spirit of love'. What does it mean? It means love to God, love to the great God who made us, love to the great God who has made a way of redemption for us miserable creatures - for us who deserve nothing but hell. He has 'loved us with an everlasting love'. Think of that, says Paul to Timothy, and as you become absorbed in love of God you will forget all about yourself. 'The spirit of love!' It will deliver you from self-interest, self-concern... It gets rid of self at all points. So talk to yourself about this eternal, amazing love of God- the God who ever looked upon us in spite of sin and planned the way of redemption and spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all."

This is so good. Just a little more...

"What then? Go on to think of the love of the Son in it's breadth, its length, its depth, its height; go on to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge. Think of Him who came from the Courts of Heaven and laid aside the insignia of His eternal glory and was born as a babe, worked as a carpenter and endured contradiction of sinners against Himself...There He is on the Cross. What is He doing there? There He died for us, there you and I might be forgiven and reconciled to God. Think about His love, and as you come to know something about it, you will forget yourself.

And then, love for the brethren. Think of other people, their needs, their concerns. Shall I go on? Timothy seems to have been saying to himself, 'I might be put to death'. Paul says: 'Think of other people, look at those people perishing in their sins. Forget yourself"."

I realized afresh this morning how self-focused I really am and how my pride keeps me from realizing this. It's because I have too low a view of my Savior and what He has done for me. The cure? Once again, and always, it's the Cross - the gospel that preaches the truth of my wickedness and the hope of eternal life. The Cross frees me from myself and enables me to love my Savior more and those around me. May this be my ambition! And as a result, may this love cast out my fear.