Three weeks ago we started a study on anxiety. If you missed the previous ones, I’ll leave links at the bottom. As I said, since worry and anxiety are such common problems, I wanted to share with you all some of the truths I talk about in counseling.

Many of the same principles apply whether you have experienced milder versions of worry or full-blown panic attacks. So prayerfully, you will find some truths that will be helpful to you or someone you know.

In week one, we looked at a biblical definition for worry and anxiety. In week two, we talked about what Jesus had to say about worry in Matthew 6. That is the first of two very important passages on the subject. And last week, we looked at the second of those two passages. Today we’re going to talk about fear versus love.

At the end of the study, you will, also, find links to the previous week’s other posts. They have covered a variety of topics including parenting and how we might be raising little hypocrites, learning to trust God as Father and not just God and Judge, how to offer God your best when life is overwhelming, how we are all counseling and whether or not we’re doing so biblically … and more.

Winning the Battle over Anxiety – Part 4 – Fear Versus Love

1 John 4.7-21

Today I want to focus on several verses in 1 John 4. But I think it’s important to read the passage in context. So, let’s read 1 John 4.7-21.

⁷Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ¹⁰In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

¹³By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ¹⁷By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. ¹⁸There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. ¹⁹We love because he first loved us. ²⁰If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. ²¹And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Love, Love, Love

An old song says, all we need is love. The truth is what we need is Jesus not love in a merely human sense. But love, biblical love, is a big part of our Christian walk.

For starters, we must hear and understand the gospel which is all about God’s love for lost sinners like you and me (Jn. 3.16). Verses 9 and 10 in today’s passage say this:

⁹In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ¹⁰In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Then as we come to know Him better and better through His Word, we should be growing in awareness of His incredible love, mercy, and grace for those who belong to Him. Contemplating that will cause us to love Him more and more. Verse 19:

¹⁹We love because he first loved us.

When was the last time you stopped to contemplate God’s love for you?

But it shouldn’t stop there.

Loving Others Biblically

Let’s look at several other verses from this passage:

⁷Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

¹³By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

²⁰If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. ²¹And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Loving others biblically is the fruit of our new nature. That doesn’t mean it’s always easy. We live in a broken world with other sinners like us. We get hurt and we sometimes hurt others. But we should be seeking to overcome those sinful tendencies in ourselves and offering grace to others because we understand the battle. And more importantly because we understand God’s love for us and want to imitate Him.

¹Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ²And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Eph. 5.1-2).

I like to define biblical love as “a sacrificial action for the benefit of another and the glory of God without expecting anything in return.”

Are you anxious about your relationship with someone in your life?
Is there someone you have failed to love biblically?

So, why am I talking so much about love in a lesson on anxiety? Let’s look at a couple more verses.

No Fear of Judgment

¹⁴And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ¹⁷By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. ¹⁸There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Look at that phrase right in the middle of verse 17, “so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment.” It’s impossible to have the peace of God unless we first have peace with God. But if we belong to Him, if we have been born again by faith in the gospel, we have peace with Him. Our eternity is secure. Paul said in Romans 8 that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Are you fearful about your relationship with God?
Is your relationship with Him a Father-Child relationship or do you see Him merely as Judge?

Disobedient Children

But sometimes, even though we know that we are His child, we struggle with feelings of anxiety because we fail to confess our known sins to Him. 1 John 1.8-9 says:

⁸If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we are a genuine believers, sin doesn’t cause us to lose our salvation but it can cause us to lose our sense of well-being with God. We can’t look God in the eye and the Holy Spirit in us will not allow us to simply go on our merry way. We will often experience feelings of anxiety.

Is there sin in your life that you have failed to confess to God and turn away from?

Putting-Off Fear & Putting-On Love

So, now let’s get back to my original thought in the title, fear versus love, and the reason I spent so much time talking about the importance of loving God and loving others. Look at verse 18 one more time:

¹⁸There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.

We saw how understanding God’s love for us sets us free from fear of eternal judgment but there is another dimention to this idea of love casting out fear. I said last week that the way we change and grow is by putting off the habits of the old unredeemed man and putting on the character of Christ (Eph. 4.22-24).

Fear wants to keep us focused on ourselves, on what might happen to us. It wants to keep us focused on our feelings of anxiety. But God says we should be focused on loving Him and loving others (Matt. 22.37-40).

Let’s look a couple of examples of how that might look when it comes to anxiety.

One common fear for some people is getting on an airplane. What would putting on love look like in that situation? If my reason for flying is to go visit a friend or relative, I need to focus on how I’m doing it out of my love for that person. I need to think about the ways I can be a blessing when I get there. I need to let them know how much I’m looking forward to seeing them.

If I’m fearful of meeting new people. I need to remember the Great Commission (Matt. 28.19-20) and ask God to let me shine His light to those I come in contact with. I need to remember His love for me and how I want to please Him with my life.

What causes you fear and anxiety?
How can you focus on loving God and others in that situation instead of yourself and your anxious thoughts and feelings?

I hope going through these studies, you have begun to see anxiety in a different light and how there are biblical ways of responding. Share your insights in the comments section.

Next week, we’ll talk more about fear, worry, and anxiety. Be sure to sign up for the weekly newsletter so you don’t miss it.

Homework

We grow as we apply the things of God to our everyday lives (Jas. 1.22-25). I believe you will get more out of these studies if you meditate on the things we’ve talked about and apply them in your life.

Suggested Homework:

In a journal or notebook write out your answers to the questions in this study.
Meditate on 1 John 4.7-21.
If you lack peace in your relationship with God, I want to encourage you to read this post and listen to the video: “Could You Be a Christian in Name Only?” You may also want to talk to someone you believe has a solid relationship with God, a pastor, friend, or someone else.
Make a list of all the things that tempt you to be anxious. Pray about each one. Ask yourself, how you can focus on loving God and loving others instead of your feelings.
Write a paragraph summarizing what you learned. If necessary, write out a prayer of repentance and confession.

Links to the 3 previous studies on anxiety:

Winning the Battle over Anxiety – New Bible Study

Winning the Battle over Anxiety – Bible Study Part 2

Winning the Battle over Anxiety – Bible Study Part 3

Now I hope you’ll check out last week’s other posts below.

The Most Read Post

Last week’s most read post along with a little preview:

“A Living Sacrifice, How to Offer God Your Best When Life is Overwhelming”

Paul implored each of us to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice. And while the Old Testament sacrificial system was bloody and messy, being a living sacrifice can be bloody and messy, too. Being one requires allowing God to use the sword of the Spirit on our hearts and minds.

The sacrificial system also required worshipers to give their best as offerings. They weren’t to sacrifice the lame and diseased animals. When it comes to your time, talents, and resources, what do you offer to God? Do you offer Him your best? Or do you feel that you often have nothing left to give? During those times, could your best look different than what you might think?