God is Love. The Father & Son as the supreme objects of it's affection, is a unity founded on which we can be perfected in love that cast out fear & to love others fearlessly. God's love can illuminate perfectly in every human relationship as shown in perfect triangle. The 2 people in the relationship is at the base with the love of Jesus at the middle, and God is at the top. As they draw closer to the top getting closer to God, they will also draw closer to one another. Weak relationship are made strong if both people draw closer to the Lord! This is how we can magnify the Love of God. Love has been perfected: Does not just use the idea of maturity and completeness but speaking of LOVE that is perfectly perfected and completely complete. Tell your neighbor, "BEHOLD, YOUR GOD"
Adam was created in the image & likeness of God. An image that has been defaced but not destroyed by the fall, that they still have the capacity to love. A kind of love that the Lord Jesus said, that it is not perfected or distorted (Matt 24:12). So many are filled with fear that torment. Therefore, we should not overlook, "Behold your God". But cautiously, take deeper thought with clarity and preciseness of God's love that can be perfectly perfected in love that cast out fear.
Message: John wrote to assure his readers of genuine fellowship with God through Jesus Christ. He wanted to establish them in the "fullness of joy" that comes through that fellowship. And to do so, John develops several different themes in his letter. As we start, I would like to begin by drawing your attention to two of these themes. The first being the perfection of God's love. As we start, I would like to begin by drawing your attention to two of these themes; that comes from that perfection of love. Here observe:
A. Herein is our Love made perfect
1. The word perfect is whole, complete and matured. Here observe how this perfect love described in 1 Cor 13:4-8 as part of the law of spiritual progression. Believe, respect, protection, and trust. That true love is always demonstrated by action, not by lips. Read my heart not my tongue.
a) Positive aspect:
a-1) it is long-suffering & kind. If God's love is in us. We will show long suffering to those who annoy and hurt us. A wonderful measure of kindness is to see how children receive us. Children won't receive from or respond to unkind people.
a-2) rejoices in the truth. Love can always stand with and on truth, because love is pure & God like truth.
a-3) Bears all things. An unfailing love for one another, because love covers multitudes of sins.
a-4) Love as far as we can, believe those whom we know that are honest.
a-5) Hopes all things. It hopes for the best, and it hopes in God.
a-6) Endures all things. The greatness of agape love is it keeps on bearing, believing, and hoping. It doesn't give up. It destroys enemies by turning them into friends.
a-7) It never fails. Give emphasize more on love than the gifts, because the gifts are temporary. "Containers" of God's work. But love is the work itself.
b) Negative aspect:
b-1) they are ever willing that others should be promoted before them.
b-2) Does not have inflated opinion of self. Love does not get its head swelled or big. But instead, it focuses on the needs of others.
b-3) Doesn't insist on its own way. It never satisfied but in the welfare, comfort and salvation of all.
b-4) Doesn't get provoked. We all find it easy to become irritated with those who are just plain annoying. But it is a sin to be provoked (Moses was kept from the Promised Land)
b-5) Does not think evil. Doesn't store up the memory of any wrong it has received. Love that will put away the hurts of the past instead of clinging to them.
b-6) Doesn't rejoice in iniquity. It is willing to want the best for others & refuses to color things against others. Instead, love rejoices in the truth.
2. Love is the essence of the message of the Christian gospel.
a) Redemptive plan. It begins with God's love for us. That is the very essence of His nature.
a-1) John 3:16 "For God so loved the world"
a-2) 1 John 4:7 " Love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God and knows God"
a-3) 1 John 4:8 " If you don't love, you don't knoe God, for God is Love"
a-4) 1 John 4:9 " God's love is manifested to us by His sending His Son, to be the propitiation for our sins, that we might live through Him.
b) Spiritual progression. Then it continues in our love for God and each other.
b-1) 1 John 4:19 "We love Him because He first loved us"
b-2) 1 John 4:7 " Beloved let us love one another"
b-3) 1 John 4:11 "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another"
3. How is our Love made perfect? by manifestation of the Holy Spirit in regeneration.
a) By God dwelling in us. 1 John 4:1
b) How can we know that God is dwelling in us? 1 John 4:13
b-1) Fruit test - Now the fruit of the Spirit is love. (Galatians 5:22-23)
b-2) Manifestation. This is by far the greatest evidence that were filled with the Spirit. Not that we speak in tongues or can work miracles or prophesy, but that we have love for God& for the brethren. We love Him because He first loved us.
B. There is no fear in Love
1. What kind of fear is this? In the bible, the word fear takes on the definition that is suggested by the context where you find the word. Consider just four kinds of fear.
a) deep concern for a spiritual welfare of others. 2 Cor. 11:3
b) Respect shown for one in authoritative role. Eph. 5:33
c) Godly fear (Ecc. 12:13)
d) The painful terror of anticipated punishment (Heb. 10:27)
2. Which kind of fear is casts out by love that has been perfected? The first 3-kind of fear that's perfected by love does not cause us to disregard those with spiritual needs or disrespect those in authority, nor abadon godly fear! Obviously the fourth is the one cast out by perfected love.
a) Certainty of judgment - As the children of God we have to exludes or rules out the painful terror of anticipated punishment.
b) No room for servile fear. That certain fearful expectation of judgement Heb 10:27, the servile fear of an expected torment cannot co-exist in the same heart where there is this perfected love.
3. How does love casts out fear? If we're living in fellowship with God where His love abides in us.
a) In difficult hour. That should put to rest all of our fears concerning the difficult circumstances that we might be facing.
b) Coming holocaust. Not nuclear holocaust but God's holocaust. That should put to rest all our fears of the future.
c) Favor by God. David said, Psalm 23:4, "Yea though I....I will fear no evil for though art with me"
d) An assurance. If we know that God loves us supremely, therefore no fear. It is the assurance that God loves us perfectly & completely in control of our life and all the circumstances that we face.
C. HE WHO FEARS IS NOT YET PERFECTED IN LOVE. the fear john writes is not the appropriate reverence we should all have of God, but the kind of fear which involves torment.
1. Fear has torment. This would be a denial of His love, therefore we're not born of God, as God is Love.
a) Lack of confidence. There are so many people today that are tormented by fears, with independent spirit. Self lovers/eve Learner and insecurity. Avoid confrontation/suspicious/doubtful/jealousy.
b) Phobic individual. A person with an extreme or unreasonable fear to something such as:.
a) Types of phobia. Hydrophobia. Claustrophobia, agoraphobia, acrophobia, phonophobia,etc.
b) Cowardice - How sad it is to see a coward person tormented by fear.
c) The agonizing kind of fear. Which robs our soul of all joy and confidence before God. It is the fear that is the opposite of boldness in the day of judgement.
2. Boldness (fearless) in the day of judgment (1John 4:17a)
a. True boldness is centered on Christ. Requires humility rather than pride, as we realize that we can't be bold on our own. This is when the completeness of love's work in us would be demonstrated. As much as we can know the completeness of God's love now, we will know it all the more in the day of judgement.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!