No Fear in Love
1 Jn. 4:16-21
Introduction
1 Cor. 13 is commonly called the “love chapter” of the Bible. It was written by the Apostle Paul.
Because of that, Paul was called the “Apostle of Love”. I mentioned last week that the Apostle John
can also be called the “Apostle of love” because of this short Epistle. I forgot to inform you that
Chapter 4 of this Epistle is the “love chapter” of this book. This chapter is not so popular but it is just
as beautiful and just as important as 1 Cor. 13. From verse 7 to 21, it talks about love. It tells us
about the love of God to us sinners and it commands us and encourages to love one another.
Illustration 1: Unconditional Love
There is nothing you can to do make God love you more!
There is nothing you can do to make God love you less!
His love is Unconditional, Impartial, Everlasting, Infinite, Perfect!
Richard C. Halverson
I. And we have known and believed the love of God (1 Jn. 4:16)
A. This is the assurance that we have about God’s love to us.
1. We know the fact of God’s love. He gave His only begotten Son to die for us.
2. It’s a love that saves from eternal damnation, a love that heals the broken
hearted, love that takes away fear, never ends, perfect.
3. God loves us all sinners but He has a special and peculiar love for His children
B. It is the mutual sharing of love. He who lives in love lives in God. In return God in
love lives in him.
C. The reason God loves us is because God is love. Men go to hell because they reject
and despise God’s love.
D. People are condemned because they refuse to believe on Him that they may have
life. The Lord Jesus Christ is a just God and He cannot let sin go unpunished. A man
who is lost, is still a man loved by the Lord for He died for him.
E. For a man or a woman who are really saved, loving somebody is easy specially if it is
a fellow believer.
Illustration 2: Do you love enough?
Show me a church where there is love, and I will show you a church that is a power in the
community.
In Chicago a few years ago a little boy attended a Sunday school I know of. When his parents moved
to another part of the city the little fellow still attended the same Sunday school, although it meant a
long, tiresome walk each way. A friend asked him why he went so far, and told him that there were
plenty of others just as good nearer his home.
“They may be as good for others, but not for me,” was his reply.
“Why not?” she asked.
“Because they love a fellow over there,” he replied.
If only we could make the world believe that we loved them, there would be fewer empty churches,
and a smaller proportion of our population who never darken a church door. Let love replace duty in
our church relations, and the world will soon be evangelized. Moody’s Anecdotes, pp. 71-72
II. No fear in love (1 Jn. 4:17-18).
A. The word prefect here means fullness, maturity, and completion
B. John is telling about matured love marked by boldness, that is confidence in the face
of the coming judgment.
C. The judgment we are talking bout here is the “Judgment Seat of Christ”.
D. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, faithful Christians will be given rewards and crowns.
Only the saved will appear in the Judgment Seat of Christ. No unsaved will be there.
E. Faithful Christians will be judged by the Lord according to their service after they
were saved till the day they die or taken away.
F. Christian, do you have confidence to face the Lord at the Judgment Seat?
G. Fear on this verse refers to the dread of the condemned criminal awaiting
punishment or execution. That is why fear has torment.
H. When we come to know Christ as our Saviour, we no longer fear Him as judge. Most,
if not all, conversions to Christianity involve fear-fear of judgment, of condemnation,
of hell. After salvation, the redeemed experiences peace and look forward to be in
heaven. For them hell is no longer a problem.
I. Fear of judgment has been removed, God’s perfect love rules in the heart and there
is no more place left for fear.
J. If a believer is fearful, it is because he has not fully understood God’s love nor the
perfectness of Christ’s work for salvation. Now we can proudly say: 2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a
sound mind.
K. There is another kind of fear. We call it “fear of the Lord or fear of God”. It is that
fear, reverence, awe, and esteem for God’s holiness and power, which results in
careful obedience to God’s will. This is good and healthy for the believer. It
motivates him to obey and serve the Lord faithfully.
L. There were three proofs that love is now completed or made perfect in us:
1. Obedience to God (1 Jn. 2:5).
2. Love to others (1 Jn. 4:12)
3. Courage, confidence (1 Jn. 4:17-18)
Illustration 3: They Killed My Brother
I vividly remember an incident that took place at our Greek Keswick in Macedonia one year. The
Lord had just opened the door for a special ministry among the Turks. After I announced it, a devout
Christian woman came up to me, placed some Greek currency in my hand, and said, “I want this
used to win Turks to Christ. They killed my brother, but I want to be the first to contribute to their
cause.” There will be a special reward for that woman at the day of judgment for believers.
(from Illustration of Bible Truths.)
III. The Product of love (1 Jn. 4:19-21)
A. Believers show love to God and others because He first love us
B. As we all know, God is the source of love. He showed us that love by saving us from
our sins.
C. God took the first step in our salvation starting in Genesis 3. That continued in the
NT when God the Father sent His only begotten son Jesus Christ to die on the cross
for our sins.
D. John tells about the three lies of the false teachers namely:
1. Claiming to know God but still walk in darkness (1 Jn. 1:6, 2:4)
2. Claiming to possess the Father but denying the deity of the Son (1 Jn. 2:22-23)
3. Claiming to love God but hating fellow man. (1 Jn. 4:20).
E. As we have learned, hate is the absence of love. There is no middle ground. We
cannot love the invisible creator and hate his visible creation (man).
F. The sum of God’s command is:
1. Love God (Deut. 6:4-5, Mat. 22:37)
2. Love your neighbour (Lev. 19:18, Mat. 22:39)
G. These are like two sides of the same coin. One is not possible without the other. If
we lack either one, we lack both. The lack of either one is sure to bring fear. (Mat.
25:31-46, Jn. 14:15, 13:34-35).
Illustration 4: Love Your Enemies
An Armenian nurse had been held captive along with her brother by the Turks. Her brother was slain
by a Turkish soldier before her eyes. Somehow, she escaped and later became a nurse in a military
hospital.
One day she was stunned to find that the same man who had killed her brother had been captured
and brought wounded to the hospital where she worked. Something within her cried out
“Vengeance.” But a stronger voice called for her to love. She nursed the man back to health.
Finally, the recuperating soldier asked her, “Why didn’t you let me die?” Her answer was, “I am a
follower of Him who said, ‘Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you’ ” (Luke 6:27).
Impressed with her answer, the young soldier replied, “I never heard such words before. Tell me
more. I want this kind of religion.” Treasury of Bible Illustrations
IV. Conclusion:
Because of love, God gave His only begotten son Jesus Christ to die for us sinners. Once
you come to know Christ, fear of God’s judgement is removed and you can face the Lord
in the Judgment Seat of Christ with boldness, even confidence. Do you still have fear in
your heart? Will you obey God’s command to love Him first then your neighbour
