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 reached perfection in love.

From Background Notes [BN] for the weekend of November 30^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

By sending Jesus, God perfected His love among us and provided a way for us to become his children with forgiveness. On the day of judgment, we are able to stand boldly before God as His forgiven children not as His enemies in need of punishment.

Were it not for this provision, our lives would constantly swim in fear, John teaches. But we need not live like that, thanks to the fear-removing power of divine love and forgiveness.  If God did not pardon sin, as Micah affirms, then we are doomed to eternal fear, where punishment persists as the unfulfilled remedy for our sins. After all, how long must punishment last for sin to be remitted? Like second and third mortgages on real estate that is badly under water, so are our sins before God. [BN,10]

Join us this week in Study, Worship, Praise and Celebration at Chicago First Church of the Nazarene:

* Saturday 6:00pm
* Sunday 8:30am & 11:00am