"Perfect love will cast out fear," is what the scriptures say.

"There is no fear in love," it says, love will take fear away.

And I had, oh, so many fears from which to be set free.

I saw that love was what would take those fears away from me.

So I thought if I loved my Lord each day more perfectly,

Then fears that I was struggling with would go away from me.

For, after all, the scriptures say that's how to cast out fear.

I said, "I'll love God more and then my fears will disappear."

But I would soon discover that my love was lacking so.

I could not love my Lord enough so that my fears would go.

My love for others had flaws, too, unlike God's love so wide.

My love was far from perfect, yes, no matter how I tried.

And then, one night, so suddenly, there came a burst of light;

A revelation came to me that set me free that night.

I saw that perfect love was not the human love I had;

But perfect love was God's alone and that made me so glad!

God's perfect love for me, I saw, would cast my fears away.

It wasn't MY love, it was HIS, I am so pleased to say.

Then burdens lifted off of me, at long last, I did see:

It's not my love for God but it's His perfect love for me!

And if I want to see that love, that perfect love for me,

I need to focus on the cross for it's there that I'll see

The Savior dying in my place, from sin to set me free.

And then He rose again to give Eternal Life to me!

The one who had the power of death--the devil--Christ destroyed;

Delivering me from fear of death which makes me overjoyed.

Now fear of judgment's gone from me, a fear I had so long.

Most other fears arise from that, the kind of fear that's wrong.

You've known the Lord for many years, perhaps that is the case;

And yet you struggle with such fears you'd like God to erase.

And, "Fear hath torment," scripture says, you sure know what that's like.

You'd like those fears to go away, to have them "take a hike."

Perhaps you really don't believe God loves you perfectly.

It's only when you know His love that fears BEGIN to flee.

Just think! God doesn't hold your sins against you anymore!

What love that is! What perfect love! It makes my spirit soar.

"They'll never perish," says the Lord, "My sheep are safe with Me.

No man shall pluck them from My Hand," oh, what security!

Now, that's what I call perfect love and if you know it's true,

A rest will come into your life, God's peace--not fear--for you.

There are no works that you can do to make the Lord love you.

To be made perfect in His love you need to see that's true.

There's no conditions on His love, you MUST receive it free;

Then He'll unfold His perfect love to you and fears will flee!