Love as the Basis for Confidence in Judgement: 1st John Lesson 24

1 John 4:17-21

 This morning we are going to finish with Chapter 4 of 1 John. In this section that goes from 4:7 through 21 we have been looking at the subject of the love of God. We have seen the love of God as the evidence of salvation in verses 7-11, the love of God as the basis of assurance of salvation in verses 12-16, and today we are going to see the love of God as the basis of our confidence in the day of judgment. This is the thought conveyed by John in verses 17-21.

 How much does the common man think about the day of judgment? How much does even the average Christian understand about the day of judgment? John 5:22 tells us that all judgment has been given to our Lord Jesus Christ. There is coming a day when Jesus Christ will judge all, the great and the small, before the Great White Throne. All the unbelieving will be condemned and receive their judgment, which is to be committed to an eternal conscious punishment in the lake of fire. At the Judgment Seat of Christ all believers will be judged, not for their sin, but for their deeds done in this life. So judgment is coming.

 The judgment of God is grossly misunderstood. It is completely dismissed by far too many. There are a lot of people who deny the certainty of judgment, believing that a loving God would never condemn anyone. Others believe that God will be far more lenient on the day of judgment, because they really aren’t “bad” people. Most do not understand the extent to which they have violated God’s holy standards and how deserving they are of His righteous wrath.

 Man, apart from the truth of the Scriptures, does not understand the criteria by which judgment occurs. Turn with me to Matthew 10:5-15. We should not miss the fact that for those who do not receive the gospel, or heed the words of the gospel, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment. God rained fire and brimstone on those cities and destroyed them with utter and complete destruction. What could be worse than utter and complete destruction? Eternal destruction. Those who do not hear and respond with faith in Christ are eternally judged. They are not judged for being bad. They are judged for not receiving the messenger of the gospel and heeding the words.

 In Matthew 12:36 Jesus said, “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Given the way I hear most of the people of the world, and many within the church talk, people don’t take this warning very seriously. In the day of judgment it will be perfectly clear to everyone that there is no such thing as an insignificant breach of God’s holiness.

2 Peter 3:7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. Peter says “By His Word the certainty of judgment has been established. Jesus said that heaven and earth will pass away but the word of God isn’t going anywhere. Judgment is certain.

 Listen, the only appropriate response to the certainty of judgment is either grave concern or great confidence. Those who do not respond to the gospel should be gripped with grave concern. Those who have believed the gospel, repented of their sin and placed their faith in trust in Jesus Christ – those in whom God abides, and who abide in His love, these can face the judgment of God with great confidence. 

 What is the basis for this great confidence? We can have great confidence in the truth of God’s Word, can’t we? What does Romans 8:1 promise? “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” When the true convert to Christ stands in judgment, there is no concern of the prospect of condemnation. Paul makes clear the criteria for being included in this promise. It is no condemnation for those who are “in Christ Jesus.” “In Christ Jesus” is synonymous with many of the terms we have encountered in chapter four of 1 John. It is synonymous with being “born of God” and “knowing God” as we saw in verse 7. To be “in Christ Jesus” is to “live through Him” as we saw in verse 9. It is to have Him be the “propitiation for our sins” as we saw in verse 10. It is to know that “God abides in us” and to have His love “perfected in us” as we saw in verse 12. It is to “abide in Him” and know the presence of His Spirit whom He has given to us as we see in verse 13. It is to “have come to know and believe the love which God has for us” as we see in verse 16.

 The evidence of the work of salvation is the love of God manifested in us. The assurance of the work of salvation is the love of God being perfected in us. It is only as the evidence provides the basis for our assurance that we can have this confidence in the day of judgment.

 Look at what John is telling us in verse 17. “By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.”

 To what does John refer when he says, “By this?” What is “this?” John has already told us what “this” is. Look back at verse 12. We saw this last week. Love is perfected in us because God abides in us. God is working in us, through the Spirit whom He has given us to bring our love to completion, to the full, to its intended manifestation. This is what perfected means. God demonstrates His love to us and redeems us and then God manifests His love through us and we love as He loves. We love one another with the love with which He loves us.

 This is why John goes on to say in the last part of verse 17, “because as He is, so also are we in the world.” How are we as He is in the world? We are as He is in the way we love. As His love is perfected in us, we are more like Him in our walk as Christians in this world. We were told in verse 12, “No one has seen God at any time…” The implication of what John says is that when people see us love one another, they are seeing God’s love perfected in us.

 The result is that we may have confidence in the day of judgment. When God’s love is perfected in us, we can have confidence in the day of judgment. I know a lot of people who have confidence in the day of judgment. I fear that their confidence should be concern, not confidence, because that confidence is not in the evidence of a transformed life that loves with God’s love. Their confidence is in the fact that they prayed a prayer or got baptized or had some emotional experience during an altar call. The Bible nowhere tells us to have confidence in an experience. It does tell us we can have confidence based on evidence.

  - Define “confidence.” “Confidence” is translated “boldness” in the KJV. The literal meaning is “freedom or frankness in speaking.” It is the same word used in the following verses.

 - 1 John 2:28

 - 1 John 3:19-21

 When the time comes for the judgment of God the guilty will not have the freedom to speak. Every mouth of the guilty will be shut before the court of holy God. They won’t speak because they will have nothing to say. Their guilt will be obvious. Their condemnation will be justified. There is no arguing before the bench. Romans 3:19 says, “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may be accountable to God.”

 When there is confidence in the day of judgment there is no reason to fear. This is why John goes on in verse 18 to say, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 

 - There is no fear in love. We can understand that from a human level can’t we? Because I know how deeply and genuinely my wife loves me, I have no fear of her doing anything to violate our marriage covenant. Her love for me is that complete. It is a perfected love in that respect. Her complete love casts out any fear of her doing anything to destroy our relationship. There is no fear of anything that would hurt me. I have no fear of her rejecting me or turning away from me.

 - Remember the nature of the relationship between God and the people of Israel during following their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. God appeared on Mount Sinai and the people were told not to go up on the mountain or they would die. They heard the voice of God and they were terrified. They told Moses, “Don’t make us listen to Him anymore. You go listen to Him and tell us what He says and we will do it.” They were terrified of God. Rightfully so. What happened to those who complained, or rebelled, or refused to listen and obey? What happened after the Golden Calf incident? Thousands were killed. What happened to Korah and those who rebelled against Moses? The earth swallowed him and all his family up. Why did Moses have to make a bronze replica of the poison serpents and lift it up so those who were bitten might not die? Because the people grumbled and rebelled against God.

 What was the problem? Was the problem that God did not love them? Absolutely not. The problem was that the people did not love God. Their love had not been perfected. There was fear because there was no genuine love. Fear involves punishment, and it should. The one who fears is not perfected in love. But perfect love casts out fear.

 When we love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and we love our neighbor as we love our selves, we have a perfected love. This love casts out the fear of judgment. Fear is not a motive for obeying God. Love is the new motive. We love because He first loved us. Our motive now for obeying Him is a response to the love with which He has loved us.

 - The love that has reached its intended goal, is complete, and lacking nothing brings an end to fear. It “casts out” fear. Fear gets thrown out. “Ballo” in the Greek. It means to cast or throw.

 There is a proper fear of God. It is not a fear of torment. Romans 8 tells us that we have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear, but a spirit of adoption by which we cry out “Abba! Father!” We don’t want our children obeying us because they fear us. If that is what we are getting we won’t get that obedience once they reach the point where they don’t have to fear us anymore. We want their obedience because they love us. This is perfected love.

19 We love, because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

 - This is exactly what Jesus said when He summarized the Law of God. Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. 

 The Cross has a vertical beam and a horizontal beam. I think God ordained the death of Christ on a Cross for that reason. The vertical beam points toward heaven and earth. God’s love came from heaven down to earth. The horizontal beam points out in both directions. The love of God that came from heaven and touched us should spread from us to those around us.

 Let me remind you of what John has already said about this. He has a way of circling back and repeating things for our instruction. Look back at 2:4-5 and 3:17.

 John reminds us that loving our brother is a commandment. God’s commandments are not burdensome.

 When we consider what God has done to demonstrate His great love for us, we should be overwhelmed. We should be flabbergasted. If we are not, we really don’t understand just how undeserving we are that God would demonstrate such great love for us. If we are loved so greatly, despite being so undeserving, how can we but love others who need to be loved, despite being so undeserving? 

 What is the basis for our confidence before God on the day of judgment? I hope that your confidence is based on the evidence of perfected love for God and for others. If that evidence is absent, repent. Ask God to help you comprehend His great love and to demonstrate that same love to one another.

 There was a song that was popular back in the 1960’s entitled, “What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love.” Some of you are old enough to remember that song. One of the lines in that song said, “That’s the only thing that there is too little of.” I don’t think the world needs more of the perverted love that is promoted by the culture. But I can say that what the world needs now is love, perfected love. That is the only thing that there is too little of. There is too little of the perfected love of God being demonstrated to one another in the body of Christ and to a hurting world.