“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16.
“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.” 1 John 4:17.
The phrase, “Love has been perfected among us in this…” is a reference back to verse 16 shown first above. This is the love that has been perfected among us; believing, really believing God’s love for us, and if we truly know that God is love, we reciprocate by loving Him and others as He does.
If we completely live our lives in love for others, we live in God and He lives in us. This is the love that is perfected in us.
The J. B. Phillips Version puts these two verses together in this manner.
“So we have come to know and trust the love God has for us. God is love, and the man whose life is lived in love does, in fact, live in God, and God does, in fact, live in him. So our love for Him grows more and more, filling us with complete confidence…” 1 John 4:16-17a.
John is trying to get us past some meaningless, hackneyed four letter word that is bandied about in today’s society, to a supernatural love that can only come from God.
God’s love, only four letters to describe something so sublime that words fail, a limitless ocean that reflects the most peaceful of hues off its surface, a depth with no bottom.
It is an ocean that few have the courage to do more than dip their feet in; yet those who plunge headlong into its healing waters find that one cannot sink but rather feel a buoyancy like nowhere else.
There is no terror to swallow them up from below, it is devoid of danger, for perfect love casts out fear, a place that God fills, imbues, and surrounds. It is a place of peace.
In this place of peace we can have, “boldness in the day of judgment”. This is not the great Day of Judgment at the end of time because only those who have rejected God’s provision for salvation will be judged on that day.
“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:11-15.
The day of judgment spoken of in John’s epistle is the judgment seat of Christ which is not a place where we are judged to see if we are going to heaven or not. It is a place where our lives are examined and rewards given out.
“Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:9-10.
“But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.” Romans 14:10-12.
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become manifest; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is . If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.
This latter passage gives us the simple analogy of a building which each of us is responsible for building. The foundation is strong and immovable Jesus Christ Himself; having the sound foundation of Christ we then choose the building materials.
This can be something that costs us a lot, like gold, silver, or precious stones. Or perhaps something suitable, but lesser like wood, or if one is careless it could be the trash we might find along the roadside, hay, or straw.
Yet, though we may be unfaithful, Christ is faithful and the foundation of His shed blood will carry us through and deliver us, even as through fire. But we do suffer loss.
As we consider this, remember that many Christians have bought the fire insurance, and are going on their merry way in life.
While it is possible to do this, it is more likely that such persons have not really accepted Christ as savior. Having muttered a few words that they thought was part of the ritual, then having their salvation confirmed by being slapped on the back by well-meaning but incautious Christians.
Those who have done this ritual should be reminded that with true salvation will come a change of heart.
It can be very small but something in attitude or actions changes, one cannot have the Holy Spirit within them and go on as if nothing happened.
“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2:14-17.
The study, “Faith Without Works?” published on 8-31-11, expands on this theme a little, if you are interested.
One last thought on this before moving on; both the fire insured and Christians who embrace the idea that since we are saved by grace, taking away all our sins, and being no longer under law, they can sin and God will not take notice.
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2.
However, Scripture says this of such thinking.
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” Romans 6:1-2.
“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?” Romans 6:15-16.
“For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13.
As can be seen the Christian can get away with quite a bit, but that kind of lifestyle does not ensure that they will not meet an early death, or find their life a complete mess due to mismanagement on their part.
Then when they come before the judgment seat of Christ with a life built with hay or straw and realize that they threw away the only time in all eternity when they could have served the One who loved them and gave Himself for them by sheer faith alone. Will there be tears of regret?
Bear in mind though that the judgment seat of Christ does not mean that we will be facing a red faced Christ pounding on the table and screaming at us!
Rather it will be a time of reflection and examination of the life we lived, and at the end rewards will be given out for faithful service.
“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.” 1 John 4:17.
“…boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world”, do not let the weight of this last phrase escape you. In saying, “as He is, so are we”, there is the expectation that we exhibit the same love of Christ to others as He did.
What we are talking about here is the love of God. Yet, God will not ask us to do anything that He will not strengthen us to do.
This is where the Holy Spirit comes in; He enables us to have Christ love the individual through us. The method is quite simple, when you find someone whom you cannot stand, pray that God will give you love for that individual. Do this particularly for your brothers and sisters in Christ, though we must show love for all men.
Every so often you may find an interesting thing; as soon as you come to love this person, they will do something incredibly stupid and insensitive; which is why you probably disliked them to begin with.
So, back to God, “Help me love this difficult person”; this may be a rocky road but at least hold up your end of it.
Hear this though, if this person is sinning against you or another, you may have to love them, but you do not have to tolerate bad behavior. If you cannot confront this person yourself, do not gossip, talk to someone in authority and let them help with the problem.
Jesus said this.
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” Matthew 10:16.
Live by this wisdom.
Ladies, I sternly warn you; if you have an individual who kind of creeps you out, go ahead and pray for love for this person, but you do not need to do more than be polite to them.
You do not need to invite them into your home, you do not need to hug them, you do not even need to sit next to them in church.
Pray for them and if they need food or clothing you can do it anonymously through the church.
Always, and I mean always, go with your gut, steering clear of perceived danger is not a lack of love; it is prudence, even if they say they are a Christian.
Do this for yourself, your children, and oddly enough for your walk in Christ. Always, “…be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”
“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.” I John 4:18.
If Christ’s love has been perfected in you, you will not fear a break in your relationship with God.
You will not fear anger or accusations from your brothers or sisters in Christ unless it is a false accusation, in which case God is your defense.
You will not fear the judgment seat of Christ, for you will have nothing against you, having built your house out of gold, silver, or precious stones.
You will not fear the Day of Judgment, for you will know you have passed from judgment to life by your love for the brethren.
If love is not perfected in you, there may be a barrier of sin between you and God the Father.
You will fear anger or accusations from your brothers and sisters in Christ because you have not valued them or have used them.
You shall fear the judgment seat of Christ for your offenses will be many and your stewardship to Him poor.
You may very well fear the Day of Judgment because you have not loved those who were Christ’s, revealing the fact that you may not have received Jesus as your savior and do not have His Spirit in you.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8.
Let this be said of your lives my dear friends.
“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.” 1 John 4:18.
“We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19.
There was no merit in any of us who have accepted Christ over time; it was God who broke through the battlements and the stone walls that we erected against Him. And it was love that poured through the breech and flooded over us and won us over. It is this love that made us love Him.
“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.” 1 John 4:20-21.
As a reminder, all the times that the word hates is used in this epistle, it is used in the strongest way and means to pursue with hatred, to detest.
When someone says, “I really hate that guy!” in today’s language it generally means a strong dislike, not something aggressive like this.
It is the person who not only says this but they act it out maliciously in an effort to destroy the person or their reputation. It is this one who is a liar, for the love of God is not working through them, indicating the unreality of their relationship with God.
The word hate is one that the Christian should give serious consideration to before using it.
Love Perfected, 1 John 4:17-21 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 2-2-12, updated on 7-13-18.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.