“There is NO FEAR IN LOVE (agapaō: is the highest form of love, the mutual love between God and man); but PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been MADE PERFECT IN LOVE. We love Him because HE FIRST LOVED US (He loved us while we were sinners). If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, HE IS A LIAR; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he LOVE GOD WHOM HE HAS NOT SEEN? And this COMMANDMENT we have from Him: that he who loves God MUST LOVE HIS BROTHER also.” (1 John 4:18-21)
Because fear involves punishment, John says, the one who fears punishment IS NOT PERFECTED IN LOVE! If we recognize that we are in Christ and He in us, then we have NO FEAR OF FUTURE CONDEMNATION. We know we have His Spirit within us. His love is expressed PERFECTLY IN US—He has given Himself to us. Why would we fear His judgment in the future? I hope we all take the day of judgment as seriously as John does. I personally, sometimes wonder IF WE HAVE ABANDONED REAL BELIEF IN GOD’S JUDGMENT AND IN THE TORMENT OF HELL which our Lord Jesus spoke of so vividly and so often.
In a poll 56% of Americans surveyed believe in the devil, 53% believe in hell and 43% believe in hell as “a place of suffering and punishment where people go after they die,” according to a recent poll of 1,218 Americans conducted over Memorial Day Weekend. The Bible continually warns of a place called hell. There are over 162 references in the New Testament alone which warns of hell. And over 70 of these references were uttered by the Lord Jesus Christ! So, how do we avoid hell? “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory… And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left…Then He will say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, INTO THE EVERLASTING FIRE (hell) PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS…” (Matt. 25:31,33,41) Hell was not prepared for us but for the devil and his angels, we’ll go there if we choose to REJECT JESUS Christ as Lord!
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, CHRIST DIED FOR US.” (Rom. 5:8) And His “…word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” If you DECLARE with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and BELIEVE in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, YOU WILL BE SAVED. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Rom. 10:8-10)
-Bill Stockham