How Strong Is Your Love?

I John 4:14-19

Imagine a salesman trying to sell you one of the new 4G cell phones. He rhapsodizes about the features, advantages and benefits of the new phone, insisting that everyone needs to be able to do all the things it can do, from simple phone calls to watching movies and surfing the internet. Suddenly his cell phone rings, and he pulls out a standard cell phone just like the one you already have. Obviously, he hasn’t considered the features important enough to buy one for himself yet. Perhaps you don’t need them that bad either

Like the salesman, John has shown that the gospel has many features and advantages over other beliefs, which benefit the believer. One of the biggest advantages is that John can state he has seen proof and knows that it is true. It is not just some story he heard. Next he explains that the benefits can be received just by confessing that Jesus Christ is the son of God who died to pay for our sins as he claimed.

“And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” (I John 4:14-15)

Romans 10:9-10 clarifies what is meant. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Clearly the confession involves a sincere commitment to that belief, not just repeating some words, but if the faith is real, salvation is assured. God will come into the person, and the person enters into God, like the relationship between Jesus Christ and God the father, as John 17:20-21 explains. “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

Unlike the salesman in our story, the apostles, with the exception of Judas, and we, have believed God’s promise. (Remember, John is writing to believers according to I John 2:12-14) God is love. As we are immersed in him and indwelt by him, our very being is permeated with his love. Love emanates from us like it does from a pair of newlyweds.

“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” (I John 4:16)

Many newlywed couples are bothered when their mate is around members of the opposite sex. They fear that he or she might betray them. If their love grows and matures properly, that fear should vanish. Only as the Christian’s love grows and matures will he be able to boldly face every situation that arises. Peter obviously loved and trusted the Lord, yet fear caused him to deny him. Only a short time later, his love had grown to a point where the same threats didn’t move him, and he boldly stood up to the entire Jewish council in Acts 4.

“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. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.” (I John 4:17-19)

As long as we are hesitant to step up and do what God commands, Our love has not reached full maturity. Just as the mistrust of one’s mate causes stress, the stress we feel when deciding whether to obey God implies a lack of trust and an imperfect love for God. Our assurance of his love determines how freely we love him, just as our security in our mates love affects how we trust them. If we really understand his love It should be no problem to give up our own desires and goals for the sake of others.

“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (I John 3:16)