I know, I should be on I Timothy 2,  but I find myself meditating instead on I John 4:18 "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear..."  This comes from thinking about the lessons of the heart - and particularly about God's commandment that we love Him with all our heart, and all our soul, and all our strength.   I wonder if I do that, is it even possible ?  Can we keep our hearts completely loving Him?   He even tells us that there are secret things in our hearts - do I even know those things myself?  I do not want to be deceived!  I do want to love Him with all my heart.  I am still praying
II Thessalonians 3:5  -" and may the Lord direct you hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ."   And then I Timothy 1:5 " But the goal... is love from a pure heart, and a good conscience and a sincere faith"

Love from a pure heart has to be "perfect love", right?  How can we claim  such a love? That's why I went searching in I John 4.  Here's what I found:

Verse 7  Love is from God...  (and verse 19 " We love because He first loved us")
"Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God".   It starts with Him!

Verse 9-10 "By this"... His love is "manifested" , made apparent to us,  "that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins."  Here is the proof of His love.

Verse 12-15 - if we love one another - "God abides in us and His love is perfected in us" 
And we can know this, because He "has given us of His Spirit"
And.. "we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world." 
And "whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God." 

Verse 16 When we come to know and believe "the love which God has for us" .. when we know that He is love and we abide in love.. we abide in Him and He in us!

Verse 17 "By this, love is perfected in us... "  

By coming to know HIS perfect love, revealed by His provision, the sending of His Son, who has averted His wrath due us because of our sin, we are brought into this "abiding" relationship.  He in us and we in Him.  We stay in His Presence.. we dwell together, and this makes love complete - perfect.
Then we are confident in the day of judgement.
Then we have no fear of punishment.
Because this abiding in perfect love throws that fear right out the window.

Our love is perfected, made complete, by knowing and believing His love.

Father, thank You for sending Your Son, to be the propitiation for my sin.  Thank You for loving me and desiring to save me from my sin and to know the truth.  Perfect Your love in me, O Lord.  Take my hand and lead me into Your love, more and more.  Abide in me and may I always abide in You.
Cast out every fear and fill me with confidence in Your perfect love, I pray in the Name of Jesus, the Son of God, Amen.