By Jerry D. Ousley
Love – something nearly everyone on this planet is passionately looking for.
In other languages, there are different words for different kinds of love. In English, we interpret most of these with the one word – LOVE.
In our language, love encompasses physical attraction, casual relationships, true heartfelt love and everything in between. Most of us spend our entire earthly existence in attempt to figure love out. Unfortunately, most never accomplish it before our short lives are over.
I’m not saying that those who don’t know Christ are incapable of love, but I will confidently say that real, true love is unreachable without knowing Christ. That’s a bold statement, I know. I realize many are currently screaming, “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT! I LOVE.”
Again, I never accused anyone of not being able to love, but that without Christ, perfect love is impossible. I can firmly say this because John wrote in 1 John 4 that “God is love,” (1 John 4:8 and 10). If God is the living definition of love, then it is reasonable that we are incapable of perfect love unless we know God.
In John 4:17, John made a profound, but mysterious statement when he wrote, “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.”
What does that even mean? Glad you asked. Knowing the God Who is the definition of love, gives us the boldness to know without doubt, that we don’t have to worry about our fate in God’s judgment.
We could say a lot about judgment. Simply know that everyone will be judged. The full teaching in God’s word about judgment is a subject that is impossible to cover entirely in the scope of a single article.
But know this, that Christians are judged by Christ when they really and truly are saved in Him, while those who don’t know Him as Savior will be judged on the final judgment day as described in the Book of Revelation. All those being judged on that day, because they populate the judgment room from those in the second resurrection (those who are not believers) will be cast into the Lake of Fire. However, when we really and truly know Jesus Christ as Savior, then we are there on that judgment day only as spectators.
Our judgment came before when Jesus paid the price for our redemption and we 100 percent accepted it and dedicated our lives from that day forth to becoming a citizen of God’s Kingdom. That is confidence. If we cannot say with that confidence that we are ready and not fearful of judgment, then we are living in perfected love. If, on the other hand, we say things like, “I hope I’m ready,” or “I hope I’m good enough,” or “I hope I have lived a good enough life,” then, unfortunately, we may not have perfected that love yet.
John goes on to write, “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. We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:18-19).
We started this article by saying that there are many types of love, and that is true. But as I contemplate these different types of love, I wonder, and am actually convinced from the reading of the scripture, that the ultimate goal of all these types of love, is to perfect them to the one, ultimate love that is described by John.
“Perfect love casts out fear.” We know that there are also different types of fear. Some fear is actually healthy, for example, putting your hand in an open flame, picking up a rattlesnake, or something like that. That is a healthy fear.
Respect is also a type of fear. We fear God not because we are scared of Him (unless we don’t know Him as Savior), but we have a very high degree of respect for the all-powerful creator of all things. This as another type of healthy fear.
But fear that makes us terrified will be cast out of us by perfecting love. Fear that invokes terror is filled with torment. That’s what the scripture says.
The fear of what man can do to us is very real. Men are cruel and without Christ are driven by demonic influence. I’m not saying that they are demon-possessed necessarily (though it is possible), but history has always taught us that unregenerated man is the cruelest creature on our planet. He fills us with terror and torment. He is driven by the devil, who also creates terror and torment.
But God in us, who is literally love, defeats all fear that brings terror and torment. His purity, His love drives it all away. John concluded this passage by writing that we love Christ because He loved us first. Isn’t that amazing? He loved us so much that He gave Himself as the needed sacrifice in our place. He loved us even if we didn’t love Him back.
That is the ultimate love, and we can have Him and His love in us by means of His Holy Spirit. We love Him only because He loved us first, and that gives us the drive to pursue that perfect love.
Jerry D. Ousley is the author of “Soul Challenge”, “Soul Journey”, “Ordeal”, “The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional” and his first novel “The Shoe Tree.” Newer books include “Finality” and “Dividing God’s Church.” Visit spiritbread. com to download these and more completely free of charge.
Love – something nearly everyone on this planet is passionately looking for.
In other languages, there are different words for different kinds of love. In English, we interpret most of these with the one word – LOVE.
In our language, love encompasses physical attraction, casual relationships, true heartfelt love and everything in between. Most of us spend our entire earthly existence in attempt to figure love out. Unfortunately, most never accomplish it before our short lives are over.
I’m not saying that those who don’t know Christ are incapable of love, but I will confidently say that real, true love is unreachable without knowing Christ. That’s a bold statement, I know. I realize many are currently screaming, “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT! I LOVE.”
Again, I never accused anyone of not being able to love, but that without Christ, perfect love is impossible. I can firmly say this because John wrote in 1 John 4 that “God is love,” (1 John 4:8 and 10). If God is the living definition of love, then it is reasonable that we are incapable of perfect love unless we know God.
In John 4:17, John made a profound, but mysterious statement when he wrote, “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.”
What does that even mean? Glad you asked. Knowing the God Who is the definition of love, gives us the boldness to know without doubt, that we don’t have to worry about our fate in God’s judgment.
We could say a lot about judgment. Simply know that everyone will be judged. The full teaching in God’s word about judgment is a subject that is impossible to cover entirely in the scope of a single article.
But know this, that Christians are judged by Christ when they really and truly are saved in Him, while those who don’t know Him as Savior will be judged on the final judgment day as described in the Book of Revelation. All those being judged on that day, because they populate the judgment room from those in the second resurrection (those who are not believers) will be cast into the Lake of Fire. However, when we really and truly know Jesus Christ as Savior, then we are there on that judgment day only as spectators.
Our judgment came before when Jesus paid the price for our redemption and we 100 percent accepted it and dedicated our lives from that day forth to becoming a citizen of God’s Kingdom. That is confidence. If we cannot say with that confidence that we are ready and not fearful of judgment, then we are living in perfected love. If, on the other hand, we say things like, “I hope I’m ready,” or “I hope I’m good enough,” or “I hope I have lived a good enough life,” then, unfortunately, we may not have perfected that love yet.
John goes on to write, “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. We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:18-19).
We started this article by saying that there are many types of love, and that is true. But as I contemplate these different types of love, I wonder, and am actually convinced from the reading of the scripture, that the ultimate goal of all these types of love, is to perfect them to the one, ultimate love that is described by John.
“Perfect love casts out fear.” We know that there are also different types of fear. Some fear is actually healthy, for example, putting your hand in an open flame, picking up a rattlesnake, or something like that. That is a healthy fear.
Respect is also a type of fear. We fear God not because we are scared of Him (unless we don’t know Him as Savior), but we have a very high degree of respect for the all-powerful creator of all things. This as another type of healthy fear.
But fear that makes us terrified will be cast out of us by perfecting love. Fear that invokes terror is filled with torment. That’s what the scripture says.
The fear of what man can do to us is very real. Men are cruel and without Christ are driven by demonic influence. I’m not saying that they are demon-possessed necessarily (though it is possible), but history has always taught us that unregenerated man is the cruelest creature on our planet. He fills us with terror and torment. He is driven by the devil, who also creates terror and torment.
But God in us, who is literally love, defeats all fear that brings terror and torment. His purity, His love drives it all away. John concluded this passage by writing that we love Christ because He loved us first. Isn’t that amazing? He loved us so much that He gave Himself as the needed sacrifice in our place. He loved us even if we didn’t love Him back.
That is the ultimate love, and we can have Him and His love in us by means of His Holy Spirit. We love Him only because He loved us first, and that gives us the drive to pursue that perfect love.
Jerry D. Ousley is the author of “Soul Challenge”, “Soul Journey”, “Ordeal”, “The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional” and his first novel “The Shoe Tree.” Newer books include “Finality” and “Dividing God’s Church.” Visit spiritbread. com to download these and more completely free of charge.
