Emphasizes understanding the depth and cost of God's love, and how it should shape our daily lives and relationships with others.
Good morning, dear brothers and sisters. It's a joy to gather together in the house of the Lord, united in spirit and truth. We are here to reflect upon the Word of God, to find comfort, guidance, and wisdom. We are here to be reminded of the depth of God's love, a love that is perfect, present, and progressive.
Our Scripture passage today comes from the first epistle of John, chapter 4, verses 18 through 20. Allow me to read it to you:
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because He first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen."
These verses, my friends, are a powerful testament to the transformative power of God's love. They remind us that His love is not something distant or abstract, but rather, it is intimately intertwined with our daily lives, with our relationships, with our very identities.
God's love, as we understand it, is perfect. It is complete, whole, and without flaw. It is a love that is unchanging and eternal, a love that is not dependent on our actions or our worthiness. It is a love that is freely given, a love that is always there, waiting for us to accept it.
Verse 18: This perfection of God's love is beautifully illustrated in the verse, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." Here, we see that God's love is not a source of fear, but of comfort and assurance. It is a love that does not punish, but forgives. It is a love that does not condemn, but redeems.
Fear of punishment: When we truly understand the perfection of God's love, we are freed from the fear of punishment. We are freed from the fear of not being good enough, of not being worthy of love. We are freed from the fear of failure, of not living up to expectations. We are freed from the fear of rejection, of not being accepted or valued. Instead, we are embraced by a love that is perfect in its acceptance, perfect in its forgiveness, perfect in its redemption. We are embraced by a love that sees us as we are, yet loves us anyway. We are embraced by a love that knows our flaws, yet loves us still.
Shapes our relationships with others: As the verse says, "Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen." Here, we see that our love for God is inseparable from our love for others. If we claim to love God, yet harbor hatred or resentment towards others, we are deceiving ourselves. If we claim to love God, yet fail to show love to those around us, we are not truly understanding the nature of God's love.
Communal and relational: God's love is not a private, personal love that is confined to our relationship with Him. Rather, it is a communal, relational love that extends to our relationships with others. It is a love that calls us to love others as God has loved us, with a love that is patient, kind, forgiving, and selfless. In this way, the perfection of God's love is not just a theological truth, but a practical reality. It is not just something we believe, but something we live out in our daily lives. It is not just something we talk about, but something we demonstrate in our actions and attitudes.
As we continue to reflect on the words of John, we are drawn to the presence of love in God ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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