I John 4:18 “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.”
This “perfect” love is a God-given “love” that is exercised and practiced. It includes God’s “love” for us, our “love” for God, and our “love” for one another. The more we exercise this blessed “love”, the more “perfect” it becomes within us; for, as we exercise this “love” the more it becomes the preeminent thought in our minds and is declared in our speech, and is revealed in the things we do and in the things we refrain from. This “perfect love” is inconsistent with “fear”; for, “love is of God” (I John 4:7), “love is strong as death” (Song of Solomon 8:6), “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour” (Romans 13:10), and “love” is evidence that we are “born of God” (1 John 4:7). In this context, “fear hath torment” which is totally contrary to “love”. When we have this “perfect love”, we can declare “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.” (Psalms 27:3) and “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” (Psalms 118:6). Furthermore, with this “perfect love” we feel at ease and are contented among our Church Family, for it is bound together with this “perfect love”. And, we have no “fear” of the Great Judgment Day, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39). It is a great blessing to have this “perfect love”, for others hear of “thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints” (Philemon 1:5) and desire to fellowship with such a blessed “love”!