Knowing Gods love will cast out all fear from our lives

1 John 14:17-18:

17 Love is made perfect in us in order that we may have courage on the Judgment Day; and we will have it because our life in this world is the same as Christ's. 18 There is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear. So then, love has not been made perfect in anyone who is afraid, because fear has to do with punishment.

I know this from personal experience. For many years even as a believer I thought that the fear of the Lord is to fear punishment and condemnation. But when I came to a deeper knowledge of the unconditional love of God for all people, sinner and saint, I realized that the fear of the Lord means not to fear Him or being rejected by Him but to fear indulging in sin that separates me from Him. To know Gods love naturally results in one no longer wanting to allow anything to cause one to drift away from its comforting presence. This leads to a hate for sin and a love for sinners. As even the Old Testament records:

Proverbs 8:13 (NKJV) - The fear of the LORD is to hate evil