1 JOHN 4:18

Perfect love expels all fear. This passage is often mistaken to say that “love expels fear,” or that “man’s perfect love expels all fear.” But as we read, we must remember its context. The love that is perfect is not man’s love. It is God’s love in Christ. This love is the love that is perfect. It is the love that expels all fears. As Christians, we have the promise that we can participate fully in this love if we are to live in faith with God through Christ. And in this, we have the promise that, not only can we be perfect in expression, but we can also have that expression be perfectly received by those we love. We can truly come to the objects of our affection and properly transmit that God loves them in such a way that all fear is driven from our interactions and thoughts. This is a profound gift that harkens back to the garden of Eden. One of the very first measurable effects of the fall was to separate spouses. This played out as a physical fear of intimate vulnerability. Now, in our relationship with Christ, we can finally be truly available to each other. We no longer have to be ashamed of exposing ourselves. We can finally have confidence in love.