When Fear is Gone

“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” 1 John 4:18

One day you will stand before God. Most of us haven’t given much thought to that day. Mercy Me wrote a song about it called, “I Can Only Imagine.” The song asks the questions, “Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all?” 

For some people the thought of standing before the Creator of the universe causes fear to well up within them. But 1 John says “So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence.” We can face God with confidence because we have experienced his love. 

As believers in Christ, we have yielded our hearts to the God who has shown us mercy. We have been washed in the atoning blood of Christ and have tasted the freedom of forgiveness and redemption. We know what it’s like to be loved. And such love, John says, has no fear. In fact, it expels all fear. We no longer have to fear punishment because we know that Christ was punished for us and we have experienced his perfect love. 

So on that day, will I stand in His presence or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all? Well, I too can only imagine, but I know one thing for sure, all fear will have been forever expelled. And that’s enough for me.