Whom Shall I Fear?

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"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.
The one who fears is not made perfect in love."- 1 John 4:18

I remember reading this verse for the first time almost a year ago and being absolutely taken away. I even wrote my thoughts about it at the time in this post. I came across it once more last week as I was reading through 1 John, and it has had the same effect, yet with a different understanding. 


The Bible clearly defines to us that God is love. It's one of the earliest fundamental concepts we are taught as Children. We see it stated in 1 John 4:8 as the apostle writes, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love," and mentioned again in verse 16. God is love.

He doesn't just love us with a crazy kind of love that we will never understand, but he is that crazy kind of love we will never understand.

I learned a little trade secret for reading the Word from either Morgan or Sydney (or maybe both!), where you could substitute words directed at the reader (like "you") and replace it with your own name. At that moment God hinted me to do the same with this verse, but substitute "love" with His name, because God is love. So I read it as:

"There is no fear in God. But [the] perfect God drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears in not made perfect in God."

He desires for us to be made perfect in love. 

He desires for us to be made perfect in Him.