God’s Perfect Love Drives Out Fear

When we understand and comprehend God’s perfect love for us, it drives out all fear. Let’s see what the Bible has to teach us.

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 Joh 4:18 NIV)

The perfect love that we receive from God is unending, unfailing, and persevering. Glory to God!

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Tim 1:7 NKJV)

The spirit of fear is not from God but comes from not being able to trust God completely and comprehensively. God has given us the Holy Spirit as well as the fruit of the spirit which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (see Gal 5:22-23) The Holy Spirit is the spirit of power. (See Acts 1:8)

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” (Rom 8:15 NIV)

The spirit whom we received when we accepted Christ as our Savior is the Holy Spirit. (See Acts 2:38; Eph 1:13; Rom 8:16) Once we accepted Christ as our Savior, we became children of God.

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 Joh 4:12 NIV)

The Bible verse above reminds us that no one has ever seen God in His complete, divine revelation. Even Moses only saw the back of the Lord in Exodus 33:18-23. However, as we believers imitate the love of God for mankind, we demonstrate God’s love to humanity.

The perfect love of God—which has forgiven and cleansed us of all of our sins—drives out fear. It drives out the fear of eternal punishment, as well as the fear of what other people think of us. It drives out the fear of the unknown because we know that God holds us in the palm of His hand and has provided all that we need for life and godliness. (2 Pet 1:3) As we believers experience God’s love inside of us, it empowers us to live for Him and to love others. As we mature and grow in grace and walking in the love of God, we model the love, forgiveness, and mercy of God toward all with whom we interact. Praise God!

Overcomers Acknowledge Jesus

Overcomers are people who are born of God and have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We acknowledge Christ—both who He is and what He has accomplished on the earth. Let’s see what the Bible says.

Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 Joh 5:5 NIV, emphasis added)

If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. (1 Joh 4:15 NIV)

So you will be saved, if you honestly say, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. (Rom 10:9 CEV)

“But I tell you, the Son of Man will acknowledge before God’s angels everyone who acknowledges me before people.” (Lk 12:8 ISV)

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. (1 Joh 5:1 NKJV)

Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer has made us overcomers through Him. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19), and His presence is always with us.

As we continue to live in wholehearted faith and in obedience to the Word of God, we have assurance of eternal salvation. We are therefore, called, the children of God. (Joh 1:12; Rom 8:16; 1 Joh 3:1; 4:4; 5:2) Glory to God!

We are Heirs of God through Christ

Through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, we have been made heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. (see Rom 8:17) An “heir” is a person who inherits, or has a right of inheritance, to the property of another person following their death.

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” (Rom 8:15 NKJV)

What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. (1 Cor 2:12 NIV, emphasis added)

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God . . . (Rom 8:16 ESV)

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. ⁶And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” ⁷Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Gal 4:4-7 NKJV)

God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure. (Eph 1:5 NLT)

One of the rights that we were given as heirs is an inheritance of everything that belongs to God. Everything in the entire universe belongs to God. Both seen and unseen things belong to God! It is all God’s property.

So, as incomprehensible as it may seem, when it comes to our inheritance as the children of God, everything that belongs to Jesus also belongs to us because we are joint heirs with Christ!

“According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you . . . ” (1 Pet 1:3-4 ESV) Our inheritance includes all of the blessings and promises found in the Bible and more. We have been given an eternal inheritance that is shown above in 1 Peter 1 as “imperishable, undefiled, unfading and kept in heaven for us.”

I think it’s safe to say that our eternal inheritance is so royal and so wonderful, that we can’t even get a true concept of the enormity and magnificence of it. Have fun and receive inspiration from meditating upon this truth. God bless you!

Shine as a Light

Because of the indwelling Holy Spirit within each and every believer (1 Cor 6:19), we are expected to shine His light into the earth and upon all people.

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. (Mt 5:14 NIV)

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (Joh 8:12 NKJV)

For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. (1 Thes 5:5 ESV)

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, ¹⁵that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world . . . (Phil 2:14-15 ESV, underscoring added)

From these Bible passages, we are reminded again and again of the truth of the first statement in this article. We are called to be blameless and innocent children of God living within a crooked and corrupt world. Because of the life of the Lord dwelling within each one of us, we cannot help but SHINE as lights in the world.

Our light comes from Jesus—the Light of the World! Allow His light, love and mercy to be evident in you. Go ahead and be a brave and bright beacon right where you are! Hallelujah!

God Calls Us to Love Our Christian Family, Pt. 1

We have received spiritual assignments due to the fact that all believers comprise the body of Christ on earth. Because we are children of God, we are His representatives wherever we go and with whoever we meet. Here are some scriptures concerning some of our instructions/assignments:

Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. (1 Pet 2:17 NKJV, underscoring added)

In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. (1 Joh 3:10 NKJV)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 Joh 4:7-8 NKJV, underscoring added)

1 John 4:7 clearly states that ‘love is of God.’ That means that love is the description of and the province of God. We are instructed to love the brotherhood (1 Pet 2:17)—which means that we should love all of our brothers and sisters in Christ. It goes without saying that we are also instructed to love ALL people (1 Joh 4:7).

We are encouraged to honor all people, as well. (1 Pet 2:17) Honor means to esteem, respect, or admire someone. Wow! Can you think about giving honor to ALL PEOPLE? That’s a huge responsibility and a tremendous challenge. The only way that we can fulfill this command is to ask God to give us His grace and His blessing to enable us to obey.

Critical and significant assignments from our Savior require us to walk closely with Him in unity and companionship. Only by an obedient and humble relationship with the Lord will we be able to receive the grace, insights and the wisdom that we need to enable us to fulfill our assignments. God is our strength and our song! (Ex 15:2; Ps 118:14) All glory to God most High!

God’s Great Love for Us

Something that we, as followers of Jesus Christ, may not meditate upon enough is His great love for us. This article will help us focus on that today.

“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” says the Lord who has compassion on you. (Isa 54:10 NASB) The Lord is saying that even when immovable objects (like hills and mountains) start shaking and even being removed, that His loving peace and kindness will NOT leave His children. The Lord says that He has compassion upon us. What a blessed promise!

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. (Mt 18:20 NIV) When believers in Jesus come together and meet as Christians, the Lord reminds us that He is right there among us. His presence abides with us.

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb 13:5 NKJV) This is the Lord’s promise that He will never leave us nor abandon us—under any circumstances. This is a promise that can be relied upon.

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (1 Cor 6:19 NKJV) Here the Bible reminds us that all who have accepted Jesus as our Savior, have become the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives within the children of God. We are children of God.

Rejoice in the precious promises that God has given to all who love Him. Take some time to reflect upon God’s great, abiding love for you, and thank Him for it. God bless you.

Promote Peace

As disciples of Christ we’re called to promote peace in the world. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:6)

What does it mean to “promote” peace? As servants of the Living God, we are directed to:

Encourage and support,
Sponsor and further,
Advertise,
Elevate and advance peace in every circumstance and situation.

Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy. (Pro 12:20 NIV)

If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. (Lk 10:6 NIV)

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. (Ps 34:14)

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Mt 5:9)

Just from this small selection of Bible passages we learn that:

Promoting peace brings joy—not only to us but to everyone involved;
People who sponsor peace will have peace rest upon them;
We should do good by seeking and pursuing peace; and
All peacemakers are blessed children of God. Hallelujah!

An invitation to promote peace is given to every believer in God’s Kingdom. Let us joyfully respond to this appeal from the heart of God.

Inherit the Earth

For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. (Ps 37:9)

He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth. (Ps 25:13)

The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it forever. (Ps 37:29)

For the upright will dwell in the land, and the blameless will remain in it . . . (Pro 2:21)

These passages of the Bible focus upon the idea that the righteous have been given a promise to “inherit the earth.” What does that mean for believers?

Here are some facts to begin this meditation:

God is the owner of this earth (Ps 24:1).
Those who obey Christ become children of God (Gal 3:27; Heb 5:9), and “joint-heirs” with the Lord (Rom 8:17).
The Father supplies all of our needs (Phil 4:19); we therefore enjoy this earth and its blessings more than all others.
Mainly, however, our inheritance is spiritual (Ac 20:32); we are heirs in the kingdom of Christ (Eph 5:5), and citizenship in that kingdom is available now on this earth (Col 1:13).
Finally, we also look for an inheritance that is reserved for us in heaven (1 Pet 1:4), because we are aware that the earth will be destroyed when Christ returns (2 Pet 3:10).

The verses of Scripture at the beginning of this article all describe a blessing appointed to the righteous in the coming age.

All who have been made righteous through Jesus Christ shall one day have power over all things, and until then will always receive provision of their needs through Jesus Christ. How blessed we are!

Children of Promise

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? ²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. ²³But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, ²⁴which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— ²⁵for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— ²⁶but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. (Gal 4:21-26, emphases added)

That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. (Rom 9:8, emphasis added)

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. (Gal 4:28)

Children of the Promise is another way of saying “children of God.” (see Rom 9:8 above) But what, exactly, is the significance of this for us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior?

One thing to note is that the Bible says that we become children of the promise when we’re baptized into Christ through water baptism.

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Act 2:38-39)

This teaching is verified in Ephesians 3:

. . . that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel . . . (Eph 3:6)

Upon our acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and our water baptism into Christ, we become Children of Promise—children of God! Hallelujah!

For you are all sons [children] of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Gal 3:26-29, explanatory word inserted)

Being Children of the Promise means that we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ! Glory to God! (Rom 8:17)

This means that we are entitled to all of the blessings that Jesus earned for Himself by living a sinless, perfect life in loving obedience to His Father while He lived on earth. In accepting Christ as Savior and being baptized into Him through water baptism, we become qualified to receive this vast and rich inheritance! Rejoice, O children of promise!

We Are His Offspring: His Children

All who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord are children of God. Here is what the Bible says.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name . . . (Joh 1:12 NKJV)

For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, for we are also His offspring. (Act 17:28 KJV)

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith . . . (Gal 3:26 NIV)

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. (Rom 8:14 NIV)

The Father has loved us so much that we are called children of God. And we really are His children. (1 Joh 3:1 NIV)

Characteristics of Children

In Christ, we are children of God through faith. As such, we are able to feel an affectionate, devoted, and respectful confidence in our Father God.
We know that we are greatly loved by our Father. We recognize that we are precious to Him.
We have a spirit of ready obedience to our Heavenly Father—because of our love for Him and His love for us. We have an earnest desire to obey Him because we trust that His plans for us are totally good and always in our best interests.

Advantages that Children Receive

We are in a loving relationship with our Father, and are continuously surrounded by His supernatural and miraculous favor.
We are forgiven, cleansed, and free from bondage.
We are entitled to fellowship and communion with our Father.
Our Father gives us wise counsel and teaching by the Holy Spirit.
Exceeding great and precious promises have been given to us by our Heavenly Dad. We are encouraged to “ask and receive so that our joy may be full.”

Trust God to pour out the benefits of salvation in Jesus Christ upon you. Because we are His children, He invites us to turn to Him and ask Him for everything that we need. Put away any timidity, and with loving trust and assurance, ask Abba Father to meet your needs right now. God bless you.

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