Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been learning about the love of God from John, the Apostle of love. For the past few days we have been discussing the importance of believing and trusting in God’s love. Today we will continue to flow in that vein. In Grandpa John’s first letter he said:
“So we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love. God is love. Everyone who lives in love, lives in God, and God lives in them. If God’s love is made perfect in us, we can be without fear on the day when God judges the world. We will be without fear, because in this world we are like Jesus.” (1 John 4:16, 17 ERV)
I’ve already covered how Jesus got us OUT OF everything Adam got us INTO. God did that simply because He loves us. Today I will focus in on the words, “If God’s love is made perfect in us, we can be without fear on the day when God judges the world.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. God does not want us to live in fear of the Day of Judgment.
a) When I was first Born-Again, I was a member of a church where there was a strong emphasis on my post-salvation performance and not enough on God’s dedication to me. I was taught that all my sins were forgiven, to that point (meaning the moment I accepted Jesus as Lord), but from then on, I needed to “live right” and maintain my salvation.
b) Any Christian who thinks he/she has to maintain their salvation by their performance will always live in fear of the Day of Judgment, because humans are not perfect. This lack of human perfection causes people who beleive this way live their lives in a perpetual attempt to maintain a salvation they never earned in the first place.
c) If you live your life in fear of the Day of Judgment, you will be too focused on your humanity to allow God’s divinity to flow through you.
2. When God’s love is perfected in your heart, you live without fear of the Day of Judgment or anything else.
a) When you gain a revelation of God’s love, you open your heart to believe it and you get to the point where you trust it, you are finally able to live life without fear. At that point your confidence is not in you, your performance or your attempt at perfection, but rather in God and His dedication to finish what He started in your life.
b) Adam’s transgression introduced sin and death into the world. Jesus delivered us from both. If you are a Born-Again believer, the Blood of Jesus washed your sin away and the love of God, poured out in your heart by the Holy Spirit Himself, frees you from the bondage of the fear of death.
c) God wants you to live without fear. Fear leads to a life of torment. Loves leads to a life of peace. When God’s love is perfected in your heart, you have no need to fear.
3. You can’t focus on living LIKE Jesus if you are afraid of Him.
a) When I was a new convert and I was taught to live every day with an emphasis on me, and my performance, I was too busy attempting to maintain my own salvation to focus on becoming a conduit of God’s power in the earth.
b) If you live every day focused on you, your salvation, and your human performance, you are in no position to be used of God. Love is always focused on others. If you are focused on self, you are not operating in God’s love and you are not open to be used of God in the earth. This is why God wants you to allow His love to fill your heart. When God’s love is perfected in your heart, you know God loves you too much to turn His back on you, you enter into God’s rest where your personal relationship with Him is concerned, and you are freed from the bondage of selfishness. Once this happens, you are in position to be used of God for His glory.
I will stop here for today and discuss this last point further tomorrow.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I say this without reservation, because I know You love me. I know You are dedicated to me. I know You will finish what You started in my life. I believe Your love. I receive Your love. I trust in Your love. I am not afraid of the Day of Judgment. I do not live life focused on me. I live my life focused on You! My focus on You leads me to be focused on others. I am free from the bondage of selfishness. I am open to be used of You to change the world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
