No Fear…I Am a Child of God
A sermon for Christ’s Church at Monticello April 1, 2007
Gregg A. Nydegger
1 John 4:13-21 (NIV)
13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he
has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify
that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God lives in him and he in God.
16 And 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.
17 In 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.
18 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.
19 We love because he first loved us.
20 If 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.
21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God
must also love his brother.
We know that we live in him and he in us,
because he has given us of his Spirit.
Acts 2:38-39 (NIV)
38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of
you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The
promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all
whom the Lord our God will call."
Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV)
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard
the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you
were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until
the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.
Acts 19:1-5 (NIV)
1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through
the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples
2 and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when
you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there
is a Holy Spirit."
3 So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?"
"John's baptism," they replied.
4 Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance.
He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus."
5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of
the Lord Jesus.
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior
of the world.
John 3:16 (NIV)
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and
only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal
life.
1 John 1:1-4a (NIV)
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard,
which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have
touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it,
and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has
appeared to us.
3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that
you also may have fellowship with us.
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and
he in God.
Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord,"
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be
saved.
10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified,
and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
And 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.
John 14:23-24 (NIV)
23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my
teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make
our home with him.
24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.
These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
In 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.
1 John 2:28 (NIV)
28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when
he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
1 John 2:1 (NIV)
1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will
not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father
in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
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.
Romans 8:1-2 (NIV)
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who
are in Christ Jesus,
2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of
life set me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:15-17 (NIV)
14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons
of God.
15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave
again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we
cry, "Abba, Father."
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we
are God's children.
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God
and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that
we may also share in his glory.
1 John 1:9 (NIV)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
We love because he first loved us.
Ephesians 1:4 (NIV)
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world
to be holy and blameless in his sight.
If a
nyone 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.
And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Mark 12:29-31 (NIV)
29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this:
'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
There is no commandment greater than these."
Philippians 4:13 (NIV)
13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.