How Fear becomes affection
1 John 4:10 proclaims that love is not that we loved God, but that He loved us first, sending Jesus as the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for our sins.
On this sacred night, we reflect on the cross—once a symbol of fear, shame, and death in Roman times, now transformed into a symbol of divine love, forgiveness, and mercy. This transformation invites us to ask: How does fear become affection?
Fear is a natural, bodily response to perceived threats. It becomes damaging when it controls our choices and distances us from God. The early Church John wrote to were afraid of deception, judgment, isolation, losing salvation, and failing to love rightly. Fear is the opposite of faith—a vision of the future without God. In contrast, walking in the light (1 John 1:7) brings truth, fellowship, and freedom from fear.
Fear wounds every part of us:
Heart: Fear of rejection makes us emotionally distant and insecure.
Mind: Fear of failure leads to indecision, anxiety, and loss of spiritual imagination.
Body: Fear of harm physically stresses and exhausts us.
Soul: Fear of abandonment breeds spiritual isolation and identity confusion.
These wounds require rehabilitation, a deep transformation through God’s ongoing love and presence.
Fear is healed through the cross of Christ. Jesus became the atoning sacrifice, stepping into our fear-filled, broken relationship with God and replacing it with love, peace, and identity. A great exchange takes place replacing our stone hearts for Jesus’ heart of flesh, our fearful minds for his humble one, our weary bodies for his peace, and our lost souls for his secure identity as a child of God.Thus, the cross transforms fear into affection by embodying unconditional love that precedes all conditions.The cross, once a symbol of terror, is now the place of healing—where love defeats fear, and we are invited into the light of God's grace for the restoration of our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls.
Questions to think through:
1. Where has fear shaped my view of the future in a way that leaves God out—where have I imagined life depending solely on my strength, not His presence?
2. Which part of me—heart, mind, body, or soul—feels most wounded by fear right now, and how might I invite Jesus into that space for healing through the love of the cross?
3. If the cross transforms fear into affection, what would it look like for me to live today as someone fully loved, fully secure, and fully free in Christ?
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