God is love. The Father and the Son as the supreme objects of its 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 two people in the relationship is at the base with the love of Jesus at the middle & 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 relationships are made strong if both people draw close 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.
I, Introduction:
Adam was created in the image & likeness of God. An image that has been defeated 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 perfect or distorted (Matt 24;12), "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold" So many are filled with fear that torment. Therefore, we should not overlook, "Behold, your God." But cautiously, take a deeper thought with clarity and preciseness of the love of God that can be perfectly perfected in love that can cast out fear.
II. 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 God's throne that comes from the perfection of God's love. Here observe:
A. HEREIN IS OUR LOVE MADE PERFECT
- The word PERFECT is whole, complete & 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 & 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 longsuffering and kind. If God's love is in us, we will show longsuffering to those who annoy & 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 & good like truth.
a-3) Bears all things - An unfailing love for one another, because love covers multitude of sins.
a-4) Believes all things - 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 & 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 aspects:
b-1) It does not envy. They are ever willing that others should be promoted before them.
b-2) It's not self seeking (parade itself) Love gives because it loves to give, not out of the sense of praise it can have from showing itself off.
b-3) Does not have inflated opinion self. Love doesn't get its head swelled or big;
b-4) Doesn't think evil - Does not store up the memory of any wrong it has received. Love will put away the hurts of the past instead of clinging to them.
b-5) Doesn't rejoice in iniquity - It is willing to want the best for others, and 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) Redemption 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 knoweth God"
a-3) 1 John 4:8 - If you don't love you don't know God, for God is love.
1-4) 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 the Manifestation of the Holy Spirit in regeneration.
a) by God dwelling in us - 1 John 4:12, No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another. God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:16 God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect.
b) How can we know that God dwelling in us? 1 John 4:13, "Hereby know we that dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
b-1) Fruit test - Now the fruit of the Spirit is love
b-2) Manifestation - This is by far the greatest evidence that we are 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 (1 John 4:19) "We love Him because He first loved us"
B. THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE
- 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 the spiritual welfare of others - 2 Cor 11:3 : But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
b) Respect shown for one in an authoritative role Eph 5:33 "Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself & the wife see that she reverence her husband" And Eph 6:5 "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart as unto Christ.
c) Godly fear (Eph 12:13) "Let us hear the conclusion of the matter, fear God & keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. And..
d) The painful terror of anticipated punishment - (Heb 10:27) "But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries.
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 in authority nor abandon godly fear! Obviously the fourth is the one cast out by perfect love.
a) Certainty of Judgment - As the children of God we have to excludes or rules out the painful terror of anticipated punishment!
b) No room for servile fear - that certain fearful expectations of judgment Heb 10:27, the servile fear of 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, we will obey Him & love others, as that love finds fulfillment in our heart & life, that will eliminates the fear of expected punishment. "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power & of love and of a sound mind. 2 Tim 1:7, Stand still and see God's love.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!