Moore to Ponder

Scripture references;

1 John 4

Test the Spirits

¹Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ²This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

⁴You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ⁵They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit^[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

God’s Love and Ours

⁷Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son^[b]10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for^[c] our sins. ¹¹Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

¹³We know that we live 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. ¹⁵If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. ¹⁶And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. ¹⁷In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. ¹⁸There 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.

¹⁹We love because he first loved us. ²⁰If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. ²¹And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.   1John 4:1-19 NIV

Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. Psalm 56:1-3 KJV

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.  Proverbs 9:10 KJV

¹I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. ²My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. ³O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. ⁴I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. ⁵They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. ⁶This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. ⁷The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. ⁸O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. ⁹O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.¹⁰The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. ¹¹Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Psalm 34:1-11 KJV

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 1John 4:18

I bet you are thinking, “That is an awful lot of scripture to wade through in the scripture reference section!” Well, it is a lot, but I have a lot on my mind. There are two things that I want to explore in this entry: love and fear.

There are at least two types of fear spoken about in the Bible. I will have to look that word up in my “Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible to find out how many different types of fear that are mentioned in scripture, but I will tell you now what I do already know. I know that there are two categories or classes of fear. There is a type of fear that the Lord wants Christians to have, and there is a type of fear that the Lord does not want  Christians to have.

I have fear (both kinds). I can tell you that there is a type of fear that truly does torment. “Torment” is an interesting word, too, and if I am not mistaken “Torment” has it’s place, but that place is in Hell; not in the hearts and minds of God’s children. Today I was sitting in a restaurant with my husband and daughter and while  they were visiting my thoughts went back to this subject, to my struggle. Then I remembered these words:  “Perfect Love casteth out fear…”. Then like every other time that I would consider those words I would find myself having this thought:  “Since I still struggle with fear, that means my love is not perfect; my love fails.” Then I felt sad and more afraid.  But suddenly a new thought presented itself to my mind. It said, “Wait a minute! God is love, and I do have Christ dwelling in my heart because I have believed that He is the only Begotten Son who came, was crucified, and rose from the dead. I also called on Him, so yes I do have Him dwelling in me. Perfect Love dwells in me because Christ dwells in me. Christ casts out fear, and why? Because fear has torment and it is not Christ’s will for His children to be tormented. Christ is love and love never fails! My flesh will always fail and yes I will sin, but Christ in me will not fail (See part one of this entry by scrolling down.).”

Then I mentioned this new discovery to my daughter, and would you like to know what she said?  She told me that this morning at her job caring for 2 year old children at a ladies Bible study they were singing a song  called “I love to Read the Bible”. Each of the children got to hold a little Bible while they sang, and the one my daughter was holding fell open and she read these words: “Perfect love casteth out fear…”  When she told me this we both knew that the Lord was trying to tell us ( or at least tell me) something. I felt that the Lord wanted me to explore the word to see what I might learn about the fear of the Lord and the love of the Lord and a few ways that they are related.

I must tell you that when I list passages of scripture for my blog entries I’m  not listing them in order to teach everything that those particular passages are teaching. There are some whose blogs are set up that way and they often do a very nice job, but my entries are not like that. They are topical and I only share little glimpses of truth that I sometimes am able to glean from scripture that shed light on what the Lord might have to say on the various  topics that come to my mind.

I am going to stop here, and write more soon (Lord willing.).  Here is what I would like you to do:  Read the scripture that I listed and any others that might come to your mind and pray that the Lord will give you understanding, and ponder these words from “Amazing Grace” below as you consider what our Heavenly Father intended us to know.

”  Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!”

Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord?  Please click on “Very Important Words” on the left margin of this page and make sure.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just go to http://www.biblegateway.com. They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!