How Can Love Remove My Fears?
In my eyes, the most profoundly encouraging passage in Scripture is in Romans 8.
“Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:35-39).
- Worried? Read Romans 8.
- Feeling insecure? Read Romans 8.
- Feeling threatened? Read Romans 8.
- Feeling alone or far from God? Read Romans 8.
We’re good at putting up a front and wearing a good face in the presence of others. But in spite of any machismo or bravado, an insecure child lurks inside us. That’s too bad because any concerns, worries, or insecurities we feel should be laid to rest by the encouraging truth in this passage.
If you want a description of God’s love, read 1 Corinthians 13, but if you want to get a sense of the permanence of that love, go to Romans 8. You can’t shake God’s love. You can’t run from God’s love—and His love won’t run from you.
OK, so God loves me. How in the world does that help my fears and insecurities?
Without the love of God, we are dead in our sins. Without the love of God, Jesus wouldn’t have gone to the cross to remove the debt and penalty for our sins. Without the love of God, our future is hopeless. Without the love of God, eternal condemnation, death, and separation from God are all that awaits us.
The love of God dispels all that! The greatest fear for most people is death, but there is a greater, more tragic event to fear: condemnation and separation from God. But Christ has removed that. For those who’ve trusted Christ and are resting in His love, we need not fear condemnation or separation. Consequently, there is no need to fear even death because physical death is only a “graduation” to something far, far greater.
“For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17).
Since the love of God has removed our greatest fear, His love can easily override anything else. We truly have nothing to fear if we rest in the love of Christ. Yes, we may still face difficulties and hardships, but those things cannot remove the greatest thing we possess: the love of God that provides us an abundant, eternal relationship with Christ. Those things may come upon us, but they are never permanent. One thing does remain permanent and unchanging: God’s love.
Rest in God’s love. He has relentlessly pursued you in His love, and He loves you far more than you can imagine. Trust Him in the middle of whatever you’re facing. No matter what others do (or think about you), you are loved by God.
Because of His incredible love, He will see you through.
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This post supports the study “Love in Place of Fear” in Bible Studies for Life and YOU.
Podcast
Join Lynn Pryor and Chris Johnson as they discuss this topic:
https://ministrysites.s3.amazonaws.com/podcasts/bsfl_adults/BSFL_ADULTS_WIN23_U1S3.mp3
