Reasons Why There is No Fear in Perfect Love

There is a famous Bible passage in the book of 1 John that says, “There is no fear in perfect love because perfect love casts out all fear”. If, like me, you have ever read this passage, you were probably confused at first by this veiled but beautiful saying that has quickly become one of my all-time favorite Bible verses.

Although this blog post will be short it will be written from the heart about a Bible verse that I have studied and pondered on for more than two years. This simple yet beautiful scripture will be unpacked with both scripture references, with pop culture, and examples from our everyday lives.

Historically societal governments have been ruled by either one of two emotions from the top down. These two emotions are fear and love. Unfortunately, because we live in a fallen world most kingdoms are solely ruled by fear and maybe have some love mixed in through loyalty and honor to one’s group or people, but very few are ruled by love. 

In fact, to my knowledge, I have only ever seen one kingdom ruled purely by love in all the earth and it is simply Christ’s kingdom. And the thing about Jesus’ kingdom is it’s the longest reigning kingdom, and it has been reigning for 2000 years now. No current other kingdom on the planet has lasted that long.

The main mark of a kingdom ruled by fear is if individuals in the kingdom solely focus on if their own will be done. This involves knocking others down to rise to the top of the ranks. It means hurting others both emotionally and physically to gain power and keep it. This has led to many unjust leaders high in government without our best interests at heart. 

Think about it: in satan’s kingdom it is never satan’s will be done it is the humans will be done. It is serve yourself and do whatever feels good no matter the cost to those around you. 

Now let’s contrast the kingdom of fear with the kingdom of love which is Jesus’ Kingdom.

The kingdom of love is completely opposite to the kingdom of fear. The kingdom of love operates by being of service to others rather than serving yourself. There’s a reason it is hard for it to manifest in an earthly kingdom.

In order to gain power in the kingdom of love, one must become a servant of all. But also know all believers and saints are on the same playing field in Christ. Only Christ is exalted in the kingdom of love. The beauty of being in Christ is that we don’t dominate and exploit each other for power but we lift each other up in Christ to the same level as brothers and sisters. In Christ’s Kingdom we will be welcomed into heaven the same as the man who parted the red sea.

In Galatians 3:28 it says,

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

If any of you have ever seen the movies and tv shows in the Star Wars universe you will probably see where this is going, but it’s the best example I can find in pop culture to give you a somewhat tangible example of what the kingdom of fear and the kingdom of love looks like in contrast would be the Jedi vs The Sith.

The Sith are always operating under the spirit of fear and enforce and maintain their power with fear. Without fear of the leader on top like Vader the whole kingdom will fall apart. It is not because people love their leaders and are loyal to them, they serve them but because they are bound to them in fear and are scared of retaliation. They fear for their lives and their families’ well-being, making them further in bondage. The Bible gives us further insight into this reality through the scripture 2 Timothy 1:7 and it says,

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

If you look at this scripture and the biblical insights given you will see that the Sith operate much like the forces of darkness. They are fearful, they are in bondage, they have no power and security under the wicked rulers, and they do not have a sound mind because they are so blinded by fear. 

This further shows the point how fear and love are opposite emotions when it comes to kingdoms and rulers.

Now look at the Jedi and how they operate. How they are bound and under the righteous rulership of the force, which heavily influences all beings for good. This in many ways is symbolic of being under the rulership of Christ, God the Father, and The Holy Spirit.

By all the Jedi submitting to the force or God, they all are United by love of their god, and love of their brothers and sisters serving their god. They have no bondage for they are all equals and serve good. They have sound minds, peace, joy, power, and love. 

Through this shared love of God and the love of their neighbors, they can operate under the kingdom of love.

The Bible mentions this through Matthew 22:37-40,

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

In the Bible King Jesus told us the parable of the prodigal son. At first glance the parable seems to be simply just about two brothers, one lost and one saved, but upon further inspection you will see two brothers with opposite paths. Both are as equally as lost, and both are under the kingdom of fear at first. 

If you want to read a good book about the parable of the prodigal son, I highly recommend the book Prodigal God by Tim Keller. He mentions at length in a much more profound way than I ever can in this parable, and what I’m going to mention in my own words briefly. It has had a great impact on my Christian walk, and I hope it will yours too.

In the parable there are two brothers, a younger and an older who serve a very loving and self-sacrificial father representing both God the Father and the sacrificial love of Christ the son on the cross.

The younger son proceeds to ask the father for his share of the inheritance in advance. In this act he is saying he wants the father’s stuff without the father being in the life. He is basically telling his dad he wishes him dead, and he doesn’t want him in his life. 

The son then proceeds to live a lavish lifestyle without the father in riotous drinking and prostitutes. He then goes broke and has an epiphany of his need for the father. He then plans to go back to the father and plans to make himself a servant to his father and considers himself no longer worthy to be his son.

You will see by his actions at first, he doesn’t love his father and instead fears missing out on fun in his youth. He also fears his father’s retaliation for all his sins against the father. Just as we as Christian’s at one time feared God’s wrath for our sins.

Romans 3:23

“For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.”

The story with the younger son then goes on to him being transferred into the kingdom of love. Upon returning home and begging to be a servant in the father’s house, the father comes running out to greet his son back home. He adorns him with the ring and robes of a son and slays the fattened calf. The father then throws a party for the son who was lost but now is found.

Luke 5:32

“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Upon returning home it was not the son’s actions that made the father love him, but the father loved him because he was simply his son. Because the father loved him first, he was then able to love the father he was once an enemy to. Just as we were all once enemies of Christ and the father.

If you are still running from God, just know there is no sin that God can’t forgive. Turn away from sin and seek God with all your heart, mind, and soul.

I hope everybody reading this had as much fun as I did writing it. Have a good rest of your day or night and may the God of peace be with you.