Another week complete! Praise God with me on this Friday morning, my brother!Read 1 John 4:1 – 19.
In this passage from his first epistle, the apostle John begins by clearly stating that there are two different forces, two different spirits at work in this world. And because we, as believers, walk in the Spirit of God, John encourages us by stating (vv 4) “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
He then moves on to define both loving God and the love of God by using the tools of contrast and comparison. As you read this passage, take note of these two distinct differences outlined by John:
Who hears us? The world? Or God? As people of God, we know and are assured that He hears us.
Do we love each other? As His people, who know and have experienced the love of God, we can have only one response – to love others like we have been loved by Him.
Finally, John states that the perfection of God’s love in us is a removal of all fear from our lives, so “that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.”
And John writes “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.”
What a magnificent and loving God we have! Through His love, we have been designated as overcomers. Men prepared by Him to walk in these very days, these crucial times – without fear, with boldness, and showing His love to a world that needs Him. Amen!
