Love made perfect !

"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."  1 John 4:17

There are three things here that all believers must know.

(1) A perfect love is such that both loves GOD, and loves it’s brother also. The apostle is emphatic about this. He has already declared that the evidence of new life in the believer is manifest by a love for the brethren. I John 3vs14 "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him."

A perfect love is only perceived, made manifest, brought to light, by our love to one another. According to John, then and then only is it made perfect. Vs 16 "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." It is here, in this life, amongst God’s people, that we come to know the love of GOD to us. A mere profession to love God is imperfect until it is worked out in our sacrifice, service, and duty towards one another for Christ's sake. Nothing in the world is more important than to spread the message of His sovereign Grace, declaring Christ as LORD, and loving the brethren. For by this, shall the world know that we are his disciples.

(2) A Love made perfect in deeds, gives boldness to the child of God in the day of judgment. Once again we are faced with the testimony that even believers must stand before Christ. As difficult as it may seem to some, we must answer to him! The question is will you have confidence in that day? Will your profession of Christ as the Son of God and LORD be credible? A faith which works by love, acts according to the will of God, promotes the glory of God, and love towards all the saints.  1John 4vs14 "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 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."

Again Matthew 25, the parable of the sheep and the goats is in view. The sheep were found unwittingly serving Christ their master, as they went about in their service to lost sinners, and in service to their fellow brethren in the world. Matthew 25vs40 "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." This is Love made perfect. That is, love which accomplishes it’s objective. Love manifest in action. Much like Abraham’s faith being made perfect by his works. James 2vs22 "Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?"

(3)When this is done, then shall we be in this world even, as Christ is. Not only accepted with the Father, perfectly righteous, holy, blameless in Christ, by faith: but loving his own in the world even as He did. John 13vs1 "having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end."

The believer is to walk even as Christ walked. To love even as Christ loved. To serve even as their master served. And in these will we be in this world even as he is, rejected of men, but loved and approved of GOD.