The Love of God | 1 John 4:7-21 Meditations

Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!

1 John 4:7-21
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
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.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

A while back I had the opportunity to listen to an older Christian gentleman share about leadership in the business world. I cannot remember all he said, but one thing stood out to me.

The impression it left was a little too deep for my liking, and I almost wished I would forget it. However, the more I tried to dismiss the thought, the more I had to ponder it. And the more I pondered it, the more agonized I became.

He had been sharing how he, early in his Christian walk, had made the decision to obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit immediately.
Naturally then, he challenged us to do the same.

Nothing wrong there; it was all very good.

But I wasn't exactly ready to say to God that I would do just that. What if He told me to do [fill in the blank with whatever I might not like]? Could I do that immediately?

Then again, I know that would be the right thing, but what if? What if?

What if?

I feared what God was going to "make me do". Soon, I started to experience the truth of 1 John 4:18 when it says "...fear hath torment..." Mental turmoil and all!

If you have a choice of what truths in the Bible you'd like to be an example of, do not pick the above mentioned one. It. is. torment. It really is.

I had almost reached to point of forgetting what the guy had challenged us when I started meditating on this section of 1 John. What a rich passage of the love of God!

But then came verse 18. And then God began to convict me of "the challenge".

Not again!

It seems like often when God calls me to surrender, I start thinking of worst possible scenarios. Maybe God wants me to do this so He can get me into doing something I abhor. Or He wants me to never have any pleasure in whatsoever I enjoy. Or He'll make me...

That, of course, is utterly ludicrous thinking, That is not the nature of God!

God is love.

There is no fear in love.

But, perfect love casts out fear.

Because fear has torment.

So for the past couple days I have to come face to face with the issue. Again. Will I say that I'll obey His every prompting immediately, or will I continue to cling to fear and dwell in torment?

He says He is love. Do I trust Him?

Yes, but well.... It's just that, ummm..., kind of.
(Which translated means "no".)

But there must come a point when I must choose to look to Him, the One Whose love is perfect, past my fears, and say that I'll obey Him.

He IS love anyway! He casts out fear.

Therefore I say to Him Whose mercy endures forever, "By your grace, I'll obey you. Immediately at Your prompting."

And guess what?
God didn't make me to shut myself up into some terrible cloistered lifestyle.

His commandments are not grievous!

He calls me to abide in Him. To abide in His love.

Because He wants the best for me.
No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly! (Psalm 84:11b)

And if that means taking a bit of time to read a book to one of the little ones, I'll do it!

He's not trying to torture me! No siree!
He is inviting me into His love.

His is Love.
No fear there.

Thoughts, Notes, Lists, and such. Disclaimer somewhere in here.

Attributes of the Father:

• Love
• Know-able
• Sent His only begotten Son into the world
• Loves us
• Never seen before
• Can dwell in us
• Gave us His Spirit
• Sent the Son to be the Savior of the world
• Has no fear
• First loved us

Attributes of the Son:

• We live through Him
• The propitiation for our sins
• Sent to be the Savior of the world
• Son of God

Attributes of the Spirit:

• Given to us

Cross-References:

vs 7 --> John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
vs 9 --> Rom. 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
vs 17 --> Isaiah 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
vs 18 --> 2 Tim. 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Mini Study - Perfect

Perfect (1 John 4:17) Gr. teleioō

 1. to make perfect, complete

    A. to carry through completely, to accomplish, finish, bring to an end
 2. to complete (perfect)

    A. to add what is yet wanting in order to render a thing full

    B. to be found perfect

 3. to bring to the end (goal) proposed

 4. to accomplish

    A. bring to a close or fulfillment by event

        i. of the prophecies of the scriptures

Definition above taken from Outline of Biblical Usage

When I keep God's Word, the love of God is perfected in me. (1 John 2:5)

If I love one another, God dwells in me and His love is perfected in me. (1 John 4:12)

As He is, so am I in this world.

Perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:17)

He calls me to be perfect as my Father in heaven is perfect. (Mat. 5:48)

God's work is perfect. (Deut. 32:4)

God's law is perfect. (Psalm 19:7) It converts the soul - it changes me. 

He causes the righteousness of the law to be fulfilled in me. (Rom. 8:4)

He gives me His word so that I may be perfect. (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

God's way is perfect. And it is He that makes my way perfect. (Psalm 18:30, 32)

He, not me.

I may try very hard, but not I, but Christ.

He makes my way perfect.

He says to me, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness". 

What can I do then? The verse continues, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Cor. 12:9)

His strength made perfect in my weakness.

The exhortation continues in James 1:4 - "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

And where does patience come from?

Tribulation works patience. (Rom. 5:3)

The trying of my faith works patience. (James 1:3)

And love is described as patient. Or in other words, it "suffers long". (1 Cor. 13:4)

What happens after I suffer a while? He makes me perfect. (1 Pet. 5:10)

In Col. 3:14, I am called to "put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness."

I love the cry in Psalm 138:8 - The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands

His mercy to me endures forever.

He will perform and not forsake the work He has begun in me (Phil. 1:6). 

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me.