Conquering our Fear

I John 4:18
By Harold Dinsmore
© 2007 Harold Dinsmore

            Our passage today talks about fear.  Read with me in I John 4:18.  There is no fear in love….and…perfect love casts out fear.  Perfect in the Greek really denotes maturity, or better here in this passage the idea of completeness or fullness is conveyed.  God’s complete and full love drives out fear.  PHOBOS is the Greek word for fear and it  is where we get our word phobia.  We are such fearful people and it carries right on over into our lives as believers.  We are afraid of what people might say or think or find out.  You know, I have made enough mistakes and committed enough sins in my life that I am totally convinced that I would be no picnic to announce it all to anyone.  It would be embarrassing.  I think you probably feel the same way about your life.  But you know, I have learned from scripture that I am a believer trapped in a sinners body for now….and I know I can’t help but express my humanity from time to time in both good and sinful ways.  But thank the Lord we have his love to help us conquer our fears and our sinfulness.  We no longer have to be slaves to sin and our fears.