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1 John 4:17–21
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us” (vv. 18–19).
Yesterday we saw that as we abide in love, we can be sure that we abide in God (1 John 4:16). As we receive God’s love, love Him in return, and love one another, we gain assurance of our faith in His promises. In today’s passage, John reminds us of important realities that flow from abiding in love.
First John 4:17 begins, “By this is love perfected with us.” This does not mean that God’s love, in and of itself, lacks perfection. Rather, God’s love reaches its full effect in us as we dwell in His love by loving Him, enjoying His love for us, and loving others. This happens in our sanctification as we submit to the Spirit’s daily guidance and renewal (Gal. 5:16).
As a result of this love perfected in us over time, we gain “confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). As God’s love reaches its full effect in our lives, we become increasingly like Christ. Though we will not be perfectly like Him before we die, our union with Jesus means that His love will indeed be perfected in us over time (Rom. 8:29–30). As we see ourselves become more like Christ, we gain confidence that we will be vindicated on the day of judgment.
John tells us that we can be confident because “perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment” (1 John 4:18). Apart from Christ, we have reason to fear God’s judgment, but when we are in Him, we have nothing to fear, for He has borne our punishment and we are clothed with His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). Our efforts to be holy play no role in our justification. Only the perfect righteousness of Christ, imputed to us through faith in Him alone, enables us to stand in God’s presence (Gal. 2:15–16).
Our efforts do, however, play a role in sanctification. God wills and works within us, calling us to work out our salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12–13). Yet God always takes the first step, for “we love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). His effectual love changes our hearts and makes us capable of love.
This is plain from verses 20–21, which remind us that God’s love for us, our love for Him, and our love for others are inseparable. If we have been loved by God, we will love God and others. We cannot say that we love the One whom we have not seen if we do not love those whom we do see.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
The dread of condemnation has no place in a Christian’s heart, because the sentence has already fallen on Christ. Terror is replaced by reverence. Let us receive that comfort today, and let it show itself in the way that we treat the brother who is costly to love.
For further study
- Psalm 130:3–4
- Hebrews 2:14–15
The bible in a year
- Jeremiah 46–48
- Hebrews 6:13–7:10
- Jeremiah 49–Lamentations 2
- Hebrews 7:11–28