The Love of God Perfected

The Love of God Perfected

By Apostle Felix

3  Here’s how we can be sure that we’ve truly come to know God: if we keep his commands. 
4  If someone claims, “I have come to know God by experience,” yet doesn’t keep God’s commands, he is a phony and the truth finds no place in him. 
5  But the love of God will be perfected within the one who obeys God’s Word. We can be sure that we’ve truly come to live in intimacy with God, 
6  not just by saying, “I am intimate with God,” but by walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

1 John 2: 3 – 6

Apostle John, known as the apostle of love, understood the love of Christ. He lived and walked while Christ was here on earth. He experienced and saw God’s love demonstrated in the life of Christ. He had firsthand experience of the love of God. It was not hearsay but something he had experienced at a personal level. He did not just talk about love, but he experienced and lived it.

1  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2  (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
3  That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

1 John 1: 1 – 3

John knew what happens to someone who has encountered the love of God in his life. The first sign of the love of God in someone’s life is the ability to obey God’s Word. The love of God has the power to turn our hearts from loving the world to loving God’s Word. The love of God cannot be in your heart and yet desire the things of the world. John said that, ‘If someone claims, ‘I have to know God by experience,’ yet doesn’t keep God’s commands, he is a phony and the truth finds no place in him. Love is not just in claiming, but also in obeying the word of God.

Apostle John reminded the church about the commandment of loving other people. He was echoing the words of Jesus when He said to love your neighbor as you love yourself. And Jesus mentioned the two greatest commandments, namely, love God and love your neighbor.

37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38  This is the first and great commandment.
39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 

Matthew 22: 37 – 40

Apostle John, in his letters, emphasized the importance of loving others as a way of demonstrating love towards God. He knew that it is easier to say that I love God while hating the brethren in church. He argued that how can one say that one loves God, whom you do not see, when you cannot love a brother whom you can see. Your claim of loving God can only be valid when you love your brother and sister unconditionally.

10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12  No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

1 John 4: 10 – 12

How is the love of God perfected in us? By loving others. How can we love others like Christ? Loving people cannot be possible without the love of God in our hearts. We need God’s love to love. And since we are born of God, we have His love in our hearts, and we need to be aware of that love at all times. Submit to his love by obeying His word. In the context of loving people, learn to forgive easily. How did God demonstrate His love towards us? It was by forgiving us of our sins, not because we deserved or did anything to appease Him.

8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

Romans 5: 8

Love lays down its life for others. It does not wait for others to apologize to forgive. It initiates the forgiveness. Love is perfected in us when we begin to forgive others before they even apologize. Love is perfected when we give to others without expecting anything from them. Love is perfected in us when we give toward the work of God, just because we love God. Brethren, the love of God is beyond mere words, its action oriented.