“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).

The more we learn about how much God really loves us, the more peace we can experience.

First, we talked about how God is pleased with us. We are pleasing to him not because of what we do, but because of who we are in Christ. We are his children. We often pull away from God because we feel dirty, sinful and unholy, but in Christ, we are none of those. We can come to God’s throne in our time of need.

Next, we learned about his character. His love is patient, kind, gentle–like a parent with a newborn baby. He knows our thoughts, our intentions, our mistakes, and yet he still chooses to love us.

Then, we dove into his unconditional love. Nothing can separate us from this love. “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38, 39).

God’s love is giving. “For God so loved the world, that he gave…” He gives and gives, expecting nothing in return. His love compels him to give to us, his children.

And, there is great power in God’s love. The same power that raised Jesus from dead lives inside of us (Ephesians 1:19-20). We carry the power of God in us, and that power gives us strength over the enemy to conquer fear, anxiety and torment.

Then, during Christmas, we experienced God’s peace towards us. The price was paid, and the punishment was inflicted upon Christ on our behalf. We can now have peace with God, a peace that passes all understanding.

We can also experience God’s glory, his life-changing, all-encompassing, powerful glory. As his children, we are given such incredible gifts and privileges.

We can experience true righteousness and rest in his love. Because of the finished work of the cross, we no longer need to strive to please God. We please him by placing our trust in Christ.

Finally, we are made whole by grace through faith, according to Ephesians 2:8. Complete freedom and wholeness is available to those who believe. It’s a free gift, given in grace.

Thanks again for joining me on this series. If you have some ideas on a topic for our next series, please let me know.

Too often, when faced with crippling fear or anxiety, we strive hard to find a solution. We read, study, listen and do things to find that elusive freedom from fear. “I’ll try harder, learn more, overcome, beat this thing…” Sound familiar?

I did this for years. Even today, I still do this to some degree. It’s natural for us to seek a path of least pain. So, we strive and learn and do things to find freedom. Sadly, we often turn to other things for temporary freedom–alcohol, cigarettes, busyness, entertainment, sex, distraction, whatever we can find to numb the fear. We’re trying to alleviate a legitimate issue with illegitimate means.

God’s love for us is supernatural–it goes beyond our natural understanding and reasoning. It carries great power–power to heal, set free, cleanse and bring peace. And, interestingly, when you put your trust in Christ, that same power that raised Jesus from the dead now lives inside of you (Ephesians 1:19, 20). You are empowered to live a victorious life.

So, how do I activate that power in my life?

Ephesians 1:19 describes “the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.” His exceedingly great Power is activated when we believe. There is heavenly power that can set us free living inside of us right now. If you have given your heart to Christ, he now lives in you supernaturally.  And, his exceedingly great power is inside you right now. But, it’s dormant until you believe. God’s power is activated in us when we believe.

Let me give you another example in scripture. Most believers are familiar with Ephesians 3:20, “God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think.” Sounds awesome doesn’t it? The problem is that we don’t quote the whole scripture. We stop too soon. Here’s the entire scripture:

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”

The words “according to” indicates a limitation. For example, if I say, “Each of you can play the piano according to your ability.” Then, you can only play to the limit of your ability. Or, “You can run according to your fitness level.” These words “according to” indicate a limit.

God’s power–that can do exceedingly, abundantly above all we can ask our think–is limited to what we believe (Ephesians 1:19).

Do you believe God wants you free from fear? Do you believe you can be victorious?  Do you believe you can do things that you previously could not?

For years, I believed I was trapped in fear and could not get free. I believed it was too big, too much, too hard.  God could not work in my life because I limited him through what I believed. His power was limited because it is released “according to” what I believed.

Today, I believe with all my heart that God wants us all to be free from fear. He is fighting for us constantly, continually, around the clock, 24/7. He wants you free from fear more than you want to be free. But, he is limited through our faith, through what we believe.

I encourage you this to believe that God is for you, not against you. He’s fighting for your freedom. You need to believe that. You need to believe that the power to set you free is already inside you through Christ.  When we believe, God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think, according to that power!

Prayer: Father, I believe. I believe that your power is inside of me, and I believe that you are fighting for me, to set me free. Release your freedom power inside of me.

Sadly, we’ve been taught a wrong definition of love most of our lives. Usually it’s conditional, based upon our actions or decisions.  Or, it’s corrupted as a wounded person tries hard to share their version of love.  Then there’s the media, with movies and television often portraying “love” purely as a physical experience.

What would pure love look like to you?

Immediately, I think of 1 Corinthians 13, also known as the Bible’s love chapter. Verses 4 and 5 provide a descriptive list of what love is:

• Love is patient
• Love is kind.
• Love does not envy.
• Love does not boast.
• Love is not proud.
• Love is not rude
• Love is not self-seeking
• Love is not easily angered
• Love keeps no record of wrongs.

Now that’s pure love!  Next time you’re in a situation where you’re given an opportunity to love someone, ask yourself, How can I be patient and kind with this person? How can I avoid being prideful, self-seeking or rude? How can love them sacrificially?

It may be hard to love someone like that in our own strength. That’s when we need to call upon God for his strength and wisdom, because God is love. He can show us how to love others like he loves us.

“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God–for God is love” 1 John 4:7, 8.

Everything God does, he does in love.  Every decision he makes, every thought he has, every action he takes is rooted in love. God does nothing in your life unless it’s based in love. The only language God speaks is love. When you “hear” God speak into your life, it’s always words of unconditional love. It’s going to sound like words from 1 Corinthians 13 above.

You may say, “Father, I really messed up this weekend and I am so sorry for my mistakes.”
God says, “I keep no record of wrongs.“

You may say, “I keep struggling with this issue in my life.”
God says, “I’m patient. I’ll work with you.“

Ask God to show you how much he loves you. Listen carefully to his still, small voice and remember that God is love.

Prayer: “Father, help me to see just how much you love me.  Show me your love in a very special and unique way this week.”

Immediately, 1 John 4:18 came to mind: “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.”

Our most powerful weapon against fear is the Love of God.  The more we learn about how much God loves us and become immersed in his unconditional love, the more freedom and peace we will experience in our lives.

The key is not just to learn about God’s love for us, although that’s helpful.  Rather, we must experience and receive God’s love.  When we do that, fear will have no hold on us, and God’s peace that passes all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

As we spend the next few weeks learning about how much God loves us, I would encourage you to pray a simple prayer:

Father, show me just how much you really love me.  Immerse me into your vast and unconditional love through Jesus Christ.  Teach me and show me the depth of your love.

Also, I want to hear from you about your experience with God’s love.  I haven’t mapped out each message yet, so I want to hear from you.  Tell me about your experience with God’s love–both good and bad.  Send me an email, post a message on our blog, or share a comment on Facebook. I want to hear from you.

Many times, we misjudge God’s attitude towards us, thinking he’s frustrated, mad or disappointed with us because we’ve messed up or sinned. No, he’s not. Jesus was punished in our place. God no longer sees us in our sin. If we have Christ in our heart, he sees Jesus in us. He sees us righteous and holy. He sees us as his child. We are loving wrapped up in God’s arms and cherished by him.

“God says He will accept us and acquit us—declare us ‘not guilty’—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like” (Romans 3:22 LB).

Today, in Christ, you are acceptable, pleasing and passionately pursued by your Father.

I want to share with you a short film called “Long Journey Home”. The short, 7-minute film is a modern-day version of the prodigal son. You can watch it online here:

Disillusioned with the family business, a young man is seduced by life’s pleasures only to find the costs far greater than he realized. Thus begins the Long Journey Home, a story about a father’s unconditional love for his son and a son’s quest for forgiveness.

Please take a moment to share your comments on this blog post so that we can hear your thoughts on the film.

Prayer: Father, there are times I feel like the prodigal son, away from you living my own life. I am sorry. I need you desperately. I know you are running to meet me, because of your unconditional love towards me. Father, help me this week to truly know what it means to be acceptable to you, to know that you love me for who I am, not for what I do.