16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
JOHN 3:16-17
Earlier today I was reading the above passage, and taking time to reflect and dig deep as I read it. I paused for a moment as I read verse 16, John 3:16, such a well known verse, by both the believer and non-believer alike. As I read it, my eyes drew near to the words 'so loved', "For God SO LOVED the world..." and I began to wonder, How exactly is the love that the Father has towards and for us?
A prayer almost spontaneously began, for the Father to allow me to know all the more His love.
This took me to other parts of the Word and I began to Read 1 John 3 & 4. I have read these verses time after time, but today I read them with new eyes... and while it was known information, it spoke to me in a clearer way.
In chapter 3 we see that Christ laid his life down for us, for his great love for us... and so in turn he calls us to love one another, and it is this love that has us pass from death to LIFE. Thus, without Love we remain in death. LOVE is Active and produces LIFE!
Therefore LOVE is a Verb, so we are to love with actions & in Truth!
When we move on to chapter 4, we see that This very Love comes from God, and if one knows Love, then we know God, for God is LOVE.
God=Love!
And he sent His son as a sign of that Love. And because God loves us, we ought to love one another... what an inference! It is by us walking out and exhibiting this Love for one another that we can see that God LIVES IN US and His love is made complete, or perfected within us.
But God is perfect & complete, as is His love, so then, how can it be MADE COMPLETE or PERFECT? perchance it means that because within us, imperfect us, we hold back or rather not give room for His love to fully exhibit itself, BUT GOD still loves us, imperfect us, quite perfectly, and it just shows all the more how perfect is His love!
And the Word goes on to say that we know & rely [depend] on the love God has for us, WHY?
Because God is love, who ever lives in Love, lives in God & God in Him,
and it is in this way that HIS love is COMPLETED in us!
And then I read on to verse 18, this was like AHHH, that had me going leaps and bounds...
1 John 4:18
"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."
Which took me to
*2 Timothy 1: 7
"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid [spirit of fear],
but gives us power, love and self-discipline"
*Romans 8:15
"The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;
rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.
And by him we cry, “Abba,Father.” "
for the Lord is Love and has given us LOVE... and not fear, therefore fear not!! he has given us LOVE, POWER & SELF DISCIPLINE. What a package, comes with His love, so much so, that He calls us His Children, upon the receipt of His love! How amazing is His love! Let us bask in it for a moment....
ah...
As I read 1 John 4:18 again we see that the Word says, Fear has to do with Punishment, however this takes us back to John 3:17 we see that:
"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but to save the world through him."
So this fear that we are speaking of here, could not come from the Lord...this was speaking to my heart so loudly and clearly... Sin = Death, this is the punishment for our sin, But we are redeemed by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, for he took upon Him our sins, every single one, and the punishment of our sins that is, DEATH, when He, Christ died on the Cross. So upon receiving Christ I am set free from the slavery of sin and therefore slavery of fear of the punishment to come, but in turn, I have been given the Spirit of LOVE! Love = Life
If you live in fear, in whatever form it takes, from a lil here or a lil there, or heck a lot a bit in other areas... we know by the Word, that God's who is LOVE, shared with us His LOVE, which Pushes away, out of our minds, hearts and very lives, any and all fear.
let His love be perfected in you... let his love grow, and push out all fear.. so that His love may be perfected in you!
Help me expound on this.. what are your thoughts
Be Blessed,
Minda
