Perfect Love

I John‬ ‭4:18
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

Yes, perfect love! This is referring to God’s kind of love. Agape. The great love with which God the Father loved and still loves us.

Here’s where I’m going. It is a short story of my mental dilemma. My colleague (my mentee) was getting married in Kaduna (the north west part of Nigeria), prone to banditry on roads and within some areas. It’s so bad that fear has gripped many people planning to go into the state.

It’s a wedding that I should not miss considering our mentor-mentee relationship. He looked up to me so much and has learnt a lot from me. But, my natural human sense said, “Kaduna is not safe by roads, nor by train. Did you not read that terrorists bombed the Abuja to Kaduna railway recently? Did you not hear how bandits attacked people on that terrain? What about the train breaking down in the middle of nowhere late at night? Did you not read that?”

Did you not this…did you not that?!

And fear welled up in my mind like a balloon! As much as I tried to put it away, I kept on thinking about the “did you nots”. I kept on confessing the scriptures on safety in my heart.

Well at some point I decided to look for real reasons not to go, but I found none. So I decided I would – at most God would protect me.

Two days before the wedding day, I said to myself “If there’s going to be any danger on the way, the train will not depart on time or even get cancelled.”

Despite the fear in my mind, the Word of God continued surging in my spirit on God’s love and His Fatherly role in our lives as His children.

Scriptures began to surface in my spirit as well. Deeply, I began to bring to remembrance His Father’s roles in my life, His Father’s love. What the Lord Jesus said about Him being a good Shepherd. All these shook me. Like a weight I felt crystallized on a solid base. I was getting there gradually – trying to silence the fear streaming in from everywhere in the society on this particular way to Kaduna.

The day came and I embarked on the train journey. As I settled down, I began to read a book by Papa Kenneth E. Hagin (fondly called Bro. Hagin) on “In Him” to fill the two hour plus ride. It was a good reading. As I opened scriptures after scriptures (see below) on my phone, light began to flow from my spirit to my mind. Utterance in the Holy Ghost started welling up in my spirit. I suddenly realized again and again my rights in Christ Jesus. I understood again and again that the prince of the power of the air over this city has no power over me because I’m in Christ and Christ in me. In Him I live, move and have my whole being. I’m more than conquerors. All power has been given to me by the Lord Jesus. I began to roar in tongues (silently under my face mask). Yes! The defeated foe cramped to one corner in shame. My spirit through the help of the Holy Ghost put to rest the fear in my mind. Glory be to God!

Now, let me share with you few scriptures that the Holy Ghost highlighted in my spirit, reassuring me of the redemptive work of Christ Jesus our Lord.

Acts 17:28
“For in Him we live and move and have our being.”

John 15:5
“I am the vine, you are the branches.”

Colossians 1:13
“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love”

Ephesians 2:6
“…and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”

Ephesians 1:20-23
“…which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

Isn’t that awesome? That I am in Jesus as the Holy Spirit is in me. I’m seated with Christ in heavenly places far above the prince of the power of the air that influences man to steal, kill and destroy fellow man; I am above their highest ranking powers by reason of the finished work of my Lord Jesus and I’m in Him the Vine because I’m a branch in Him. I have authority over the ruler of darkness on every city causing banditry. God is my Father. He loves me.

These were words rolling in my spirit as I joyously prayed in the Holy Ghost.

Fear has no place in the presence of God. The Word of God dispels fear, doubt and unbelief. The Holy Spirit conveys to our spirits the love of God the Father; our right in Christ; our authority over rulers of darkness.

And we rise as giants and wield that power over the kingdom of darkness. The Lord Jesus did it all for us. We are not just a conqueror but more than a conqueror.

Hallelujah! I went and came back victorious. Before I got to Kaduna, I heard a gentle still small voice saying, “Now that you know, will you not buy your return ticket for today?”

I was initially planning to return the next day after the weekend because I didn’t want to take the night train.

Hearing that I gladly set in motion the plan to get my return ticket. And I did return with the evening/night train with no single iota of fear. As a matter of fact, I slept half way through the journey (for He gives His beloved sleep).

Glory be to God!

Ephesians 2:4-6
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”

His great love! And that love is in us poured out in our heart by the Holy Ghost. We have it in us as children of God; as born again believers!

Romans 5:5
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

‭‭I John‬ ‭4:18
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”