2002-01-01
Good Morning Faithful Ones,
Yesterday, I felt directed to take a practical approach to the issue of God is love and will continue to do so today as we look at 1JN 4: 13-18. The author of 1JN focused on God’s love as it was demonstrated by sending His Son to the cross for us in verses 7-12. He shifts his focus to the bond that is established between God and the believer and how it impacts the way a believer comes to the Day of Judgment in verses 13-18. “We are sure that we live in union with God an that He lives in union with us, because He has given us His Spirit. And we have seen and tell others that the Father sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone declares that Jesus is the Son of God, he lives in union with God and God lives in union with him. And we ourselves know and believe the love which God has for us. God is love, and whoever lives in love lives in union with God and God lives in union with him. Love is made perfect in us in order that we may have courage on the Judgment Day; and we will have it because our life in this world is the same as Christ’s. There is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear. So then, love has not been made perfect in anyone who is afraid, because fear has to do with punishment.”
The term “koininea” is a Greek word that denotes a very special and intimate relationship between ourselves, the Trinity, and other believers. I mention this here, because of the far-reaching spiritual implications it has for us. When you place this concept along with the discussion of the bond between us and the persons of the Trinity in today’s passage, we are given insight into what a special and unique relationship that exists when real faith is present. The author of 1JN knew that a belief system like Gnosticism with its denial of the Incarnation, that Jesus is the Christ, and that Jesus is both God and man breaks that holy and supernatural bond. When people new to the faith or not well-grounded in it are exposed to such teaching, they are sorely tempted to turn from faith. They do not have the profound understanding of how essential to our survival faith in Christ really is. That is a pressing reason why we who are faithful must not selfishly keep our faith to ourselves, but are called to accept the great commission of MT 28: 19-20. “Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them My disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of an age.” Dear Ones, we are not only asked to make it possible for the Holy Spirit to bring new people into the faith, but we must also engage in faith-building attitudes and actions for our fellow believers. In other words, we must encourage each other’s faith, especially in the face of temptations presented by the adversary. To do that, we must be able to recognize when the adversary is at work.
JN 1: 18, “No one has ever seen God. The only Son, Who is the same as God and is at the Father’s side, He has made Him known.” When we put this together with 1JN 4: 12 from yesterday’s message, our understanding of the bond is increased. Let me repeat (12), “No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in union with us, and His love is made perfect in us.” We are told in (13) that, “we are sure that we live in union with God and that He lives in union with us, because He has given us His Spirit.” Verse (15) tells us, “if anyone declares that Jesus is the Son of God, he lives in union with God and God lives in union with him.” So, we have God, the Son, and Spirit when we have faith. Earlier in RO 3: 22-25, we learned that through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are put right with God-righteousness is imputed to our accounts. It is logical then, that we are prepared to make whatever adjustments are necessary in our lives to allow God to work through us. One way He does this is by having us mirror the love He has for us in our relationships with others. That is how God’s love is made perfect in us.
The only people who have to be afraid of the Day of Judgment are those who are condemned. We who are faithful can come to that day with the confidence of knowing that “nothing can separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord” [see RO 8: 38-39]. This is no invitation to forget that we are sinners or to become self-righteous. We must know the extent of God’s sovereignty and our responsibility to respond to it. This is knowledge and faith that only comes from listening to the Holy Spirit as He speaks to us through prayer, the Scriptures, our circumstances, and our congregations. However, when our faith is well-grounded from these sources, we can approach judgment with the knowledge that, “there is no condemnation now for those who live in union with Christ Jesus” [see RO 8: 1]. Be encouraged by this to toil hard for a cause that is vital to our very spiritual lives. Know that when we act in love and never do anything to adversely affect the faith of another, that we are allowing God to work through us. Obeying God allows us to experience Him, to know real and lasting joy, and “to have the peace that goes beyond human understanding” [see PHIL 4: 7].
PRAYER: O Lord, we never really knew what real love was until You came into our lives. What an amazing demonstration of Your love for us You show when we are allowed to enter into “koininea”! You invited us to join You in Your work even while we were your enemies. You sacrificed Your Son on the cross to make salvation possible for us. Even then, You had no guarantee that we would use our free agency to choose the eternal life You offered us. Yet through it all, You stand by consistently offering Your love and patiently waiting for us to accept it. The time draws short now, and we must not delay not only in repenting and coming to faith, but in living “in Christ” and in encouraging the faith of others by our attitudes and actions. The reassurance that You give us that when we are faithful we can come to the Day of Judgment with confidence, is a gift from You-a demonstration of the love You have for us. We humbly offer You our thanks, praise, worship, and adoration. The bond that You have established with us and with all believers is the greatest asset that can be given. Your generosity stands as a model for us to follow. We dedicate ourselves to reflecting Your love in every thought we have and action we take. In Christ’s name, amen.
1JN 4: 19-21 focuses on how we can recognize a person who loves God and within whom God lives. That will be the subject of tomorrow’s message. In the meanwhile, meditate on this wonderful bond we have with the Trinity and with each other. When trouble comes our way as it so often does, we need not feel like we must face it either alone or without effective resources to work through it. We can have confidence when we are living “in Christ” that victory over evil is ours through Him! Peter and I send you our love today too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn