"Perfect love casts out fear."

The past couple of days, I've been thinking about 1 John 4:18, 

"There 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."

We often praise God for His perfect love that casts out all fear...but, what exactly does that mean?

After listening to John Piper and pulling out the ol' Key Word, these are a few thoughts I've gathered....

The word perfect in the original greek language means complete.

The word fear in the original greek language means to be afraid.

[complete] love casts out [being afraid]

WHAT MAKES LOVE COMPLETE?

"And we have come to know and have believed that love which God has for us.  God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  By this, love is PERFECTED [or completed] with us, that me may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world." --1 John 4:16-17

"Perfected love is when you don't just talk about the need to share Christ, you do it. It's when you don't just talk about the hungry, you feed them. It's when you don't just talk about floundering new believers, you disciple them. And so on....Complete your talk with the walk" --John Piper

Loving God, loving people actively as Jesus would, walking in the light, and trusting in the Cross gives His children the confidence to believe and know that His perfect love casts out all fear!

"The way to boldness, the way to confidence and fearlessness, is to walk love not just talk love." 

--John Piper

HOW DOES PERFECT LOVE CAST OUT FEAR?

Fear is the opposite of love.  To love is to trust...you can't completely trust and have fear.  

Perfect love of God abiding in us, gives confidence...confidence diminishes fear.