July 20, 2013
John continues to drive home the point: God is love and if we have God living in our lives, God's love will be reflected in us and through us. Love comes from God. He sent His son to die so that we may have life. Real love is not our love for Him, it is His love for us. Psalm 8:4 - "What is man that you are mindful of him?" Because God is love we can trust Him. When we confess Him as Lord (Master) we live in His love, and He lives in us. I John 4:17-18a - "This is how love is made perfect in us: that we can be without fear on the day God judges us, because in this world we are like him. Where God's love is, there is no fear, because God's perfect love drives out fear."
Our lives (actions) reflect the truth of who we are. If we have God's love in us, that is what we reflect. If we are instead fueled by our own desires (own = evil) we may try to mask it, but it IS what we reflect and it will be revealed. After John talks about there being no fear if you are living in God and in His love, He makes a statement I never noticed before. I John 4:18b - "It is punishment (KJV says torment) that makes a person fear." And why is it punishment? Because when someone refuses to surrender to God they do not have God's perfect love that drives out fear. The refusal to surrender becomes a punishment as fear runs rampant in their lives.
God's perfect love is available to us. When we refuse to submit to it we are punished by living in fear. You would think people would "get it" and choose to live in God's love. But selfish pride (the very core of sin) gets in the way. They would rather live a miserable existence and think they are in control (and be punished for it) than to unconditionally trust God.
I used to think fear is what kept some people from trusting God, but my thinking was all wrong. My "aha" moment came when I finally understood what John was saying. Fear is not the cause that prevents someone from surrendering their life to the Lordship of Christ; it is the result of refusing to surrender your life. It is punishment received for choices made. How sad. What a waste of precious time, energy, and effort, and what a shame to live in fear when God has provided us His perfect love.
John goes on. I John 4:19 - "We love because God first loved us." You can't say you love God and hate your brothers or sisters. The two actions cannot mix, and John says that person is a liar. I John 5:3a - "Loving God means obeying his commands." His commands are not hard to follow IF you are surrendered to Him, but they are impossible to follow if you are controlled by your own selfish desires.
As a child of God you can conquer the world. It has nothing to do with who you are. It has everything to do with whose you are. The ability to conquer the world comes from having faith in the One who created the world, sent His Son to save the world, and will return again to rule the world. God's Spirit, who is in us, is greater than the spirit of this world.
II Kings 6:16 - "The army that fights for us is larger than the one against us." I John 4:4 - "My dear children, you belong to God and have defeated them; because God spirit, who is in you, is greater than the devil, who is in the world."
It is God who gets the victory and God who gets ALL glory.
Next Entry: I John 4:1 – 5:21 (Continued)
John continues to drive home the point: God is love and if we have God living in our lives, God's love will be reflected in us and through us. Love comes from God. He sent His son to die so that we may have life. Real love is not our love for Him, it is His love for us. Psalm 8:4 - "What is man that you are mindful of him?" Because God is love we can trust Him. When we confess Him as Lord (Master) we live in His love, and He lives in us. I John 4:17-18a - "This is how love is made perfect in us: that we can be without fear on the day God judges us, because in this world we are like him. Where God's love is, there is no fear, because God's perfect love drives out fear."
Our lives (actions) reflect the truth of who we are. If we have God's love in us, that is what we reflect. If we are instead fueled by our own desires (own = evil) we may try to mask it, but it IS what we reflect and it will be revealed. After John talks about there being no fear if you are living in God and in His love, He makes a statement I never noticed before. I John 4:18b - "It is punishment (KJV says torment) that makes a person fear." And why is it punishment? Because when someone refuses to surrender to God they do not have God's perfect love that drives out fear. The refusal to surrender becomes a punishment as fear runs rampant in their lives.
God's perfect love is available to us. When we refuse to submit to it we are punished by living in fear. You would think people would "get it" and choose to live in God's love. But selfish pride (the very core of sin) gets in the way. They would rather live a miserable existence and think they are in control (and be punished for it) than to unconditionally trust God.
I used to think fear is what kept some people from trusting God, but my thinking was all wrong. My "aha" moment came when I finally understood what John was saying. Fear is not the cause that prevents someone from surrendering their life to the Lordship of Christ; it is the result of refusing to surrender your life. It is punishment received for choices made. How sad. What a waste of precious time, energy, and effort, and what a shame to live in fear when God has provided us His perfect love.
John goes on. I John 4:19 - "We love because God first loved us." You can't say you love God and hate your brothers or sisters. The two actions cannot mix, and John says that person is a liar. I John 5:3a - "Loving God means obeying his commands." His commands are not hard to follow IF you are surrendered to Him, but they are impossible to follow if you are controlled by your own selfish desires.
As a child of God you can conquer the world. It has nothing to do with who you are. It has everything to do with whose you are. The ability to conquer the world comes from having faith in the One who created the world, sent His Son to save the world, and will return again to rule the world. God's Spirit, who is in us, is greater than the spirit of this world.
II Kings 6:16 - "The army that fights for us is larger than the one against us." I John 4:4 - "My dear children, you belong to God and have defeated them; because God spirit, who is in you, is greater than the devil, who is in the world."
It is God who gets the victory and God who gets ALL glory.
Next Entry: I John 4:1 – 5:21 (Continued)
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