2023-05-19 “Herein is our love made perfect”

I John 4:17  “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.

Herein is our love made perfect”; that is, this is the ultimate blessing and benefit of “our love”.  In this context, “our love” is that mutual indwelling “love” of and for God (I John 4:16) that He implants within us.  The great blessing and benefit of “our love” is the assurance that “we may have boldness in the day of judgment”; that is, we have very strong confidence that “in the day of judgment” our names will be found written in the “book of life” (Revelation 3:5; 21:27; 20:12,15) and that our Eternal Home in Heaven is certain.  Furthermore, “our love” gives us peaceful assurance that “as he [God] is, so are we in this world”; that is, we will never, ever be without “God”, even in this present world with all its tribulations.  Paul refers to it as “the breastplate of faith and love” (I Thessalonians 5:8); he inseparably ties “faith and love” together.  When the storms of life are raging, He is right here with us; when our hearts are broken, He is right here with us; when dreadful disease weakens us, He is right here with us; when confusion sets upon us like a dark ominous cloud, He is right here with us; when sin shames us, He is right here with us; and when death looms before us, He is right here with us; “because as he is, so are we in this world”!  So, we joyfully sing, “I love my Savior God …”!