in the book of 1 John this morning
in chapter 4, and we're going to read from verse 10 through the
end of the chapter, chapter 4 of 1 John. And we've been in 1 John
for some time, and this time of looking at that, we're going
to call perfect love. Okay, verse 10, it says, herein
is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent
his son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God
so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man has
seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth
in us and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we
dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit. And we have seen and do testify
that the father sent the son to be the savior of the world.
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the son of God, God
dwelleth in him and he in God. 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. 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. There is no fear in love, but
perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He
that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him because
he first loved us. If a man say, I love God and
hateth his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother
whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
And this is the commandment we have from him that we that he
who loveth God loveth his brother also. We've seen and touched
on the topic of love in 1 John a couple of times already, and
we're going to touch on it a lot more before we are finished with
the book of 1 John, if the Lord will allow it. A couple of things
that I'd like to look at from this and not covering everything
in the rest of this chapter, but two things. First of all,
I'd like to note that in the verse 12, 17, and 18 of this
chapter, the word is perfected or perfect is used, perfected
or perfect. And I'd like to look at a couple
of things along those lines. That word, perfect, is from a
Greek word in here. It's not used in the Old Testament,
and it has to do with to complete, to literally accomplish, to finish
or fulfill. And I'd like to look at a couple
of verses that deal with that meaning of that word. In John
chapter 17, in the book of John chapter 17. John chapter 17,
two verses. that use this same work as perfected. Verses 3 and 4 of John 17 said,
and this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only
true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. I have glorified
thee on the earth. I have finished the work which
thou gavest me to do. that word finished is the same
word that's translated as perfected or perfect in 1 John and has
to do with an accomplishment and with fulfilling as it says
and as Christ finished the work,
the great work that was given him to do for our redemption,
as he's speaking up here, as he fulfilled that and perfected
that and accomplished that. And then down in the same chapter,
a little farther, chapter 17, down, verse 23, it says, I in them
and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that
the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them
as thou hast loved me. And here it may be perfect in
one or complete or finished or fulfilled in him." That same
word that's used. It's used 24 times in the New
Testament, that same word. Teli-o-o is how it phonetically
looks. book of 2 Corinthians for another
place where this word is used, 2 Corinthians chapter 12. There's
actually a couple of places that will be in 2 Corinthians, but
2 Corinthians chapter verse 9, and it says here, and
he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength
is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will
I glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest
upon me. In this, Paul was saying about what the Lord said to him. that my strength is made perfect
in weakness, and that same word that is used as fulfilling, accomplishing,
or fulfilling or accomplishing or finishing or completing. And then in two places in the
book of Hebrews, if you'll turn to the book of Hebrews with me,
in chapter seven, Same word here, chapter seven
of the book of Hebrews. Verse 19, speaking about the
priesthood of Christ and the law and the legal matters of
the law, verse 19 said, for the law made nothing perfect, but
the bringing in of a better hope did by the which we draw nigh
unto God. And here, speaking of the law
could not make anything perfect, could not take care of the problem.
It could not cure sin. We read in Hebrews where the
sacrifices that were done to those that did them of a good
heart, it couldn't take care of the problem, but it showed
forth a picture of how the problem would be taken care of, of him
that could make things all perfect in himself and could fulfill
those things and could do all that he said. And then in the
last one, thing that the Lord said before he gave up the ghost
was, it is finished. And the same, that's the same
word, it's accomplished, it's done, it's fulfilled. Speaking
of all that needed to be done for our salvation, for our redemption,
the same word that's used here in 1 John. And then in chapter
10, chapter 10 of Hebrews, This, the other side of that
same thought, the law could not do this, but it says here in
Hebrews 10 and 14, it says, for by one offering,
he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. The offering
that he offered of himself did indeed, says perfect forever
them that are sanctified, or those are set apart, or the church,
the sheep, the ones that he died for, that this sacrifice, could
indeed take care of those problems. So the word here where the other
could not make it perfect, that perfect that his offering indeed
did and could. So the same word used there. These words that we see in 1
John of perfect are used in connection with love. The word love, perfect
the love, his love perfected in us. And God's love is, we're
gonna look at a couple of passages with this too before we move
on. But God's love is, it's perfect,
complete, steadfast, not dependent upon any condition. God did not
look down through time, as people say, and see that there were
gonna be some that thought it was a good idea and so then he'd
love them. No, God's love was never, by degree, it never got
changed from better to best to worst. There's no condition upon
the love that God has and for his people in Christ. Our love
is imperfect, can be cold, hot, indifferent, unstable, and varies
with every condition. The contrast we are by nature,
by what we have. and what we know and what we
observe of ourselves, what our love is like by nature. His love
is perfected in us, that is the end of his love is perfected
for those that are sanctified us in Christ. That is the end
of that, of his love, it perfected is the salvation of his people
in him. And we're gonna look at a couple of passages about
that. The word love here that's used in the book of 1 John where
we're at, It's agape love, and common people know that word,
which is affection or benevolence, charity, dear, love, or affinity
for one. And it's used 116 times in the
New Testament. That word's also not used in
the Old Testament as that same thought. And agape is used and
agapeo is used, which is a variation of that word, which is to be
loved. Turn to the book of 1 Corinthians, a chapter that speaks to some
extent about this, the same thought about what love is, And let's see. Well, let's start with the first
verse and read down through this. It says, though I speak with
the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, I am because
as a sounding brass or tingling cymbal. And though I have the
gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, have
not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods
to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned and
have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. And this word agape
that's used in here, and here charity, it's the same word that
means affection, as we said, or benevolence. Charity is one
of the synonyms for the same word. And here it uses the word
charity. Verse four, charity suffereth
long and is kind. Charity envieth not, vaunteth
not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly,
seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth
not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things,
believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth, but where there be prophecies, they shall
fail. Whether there be tongues, they shall cease. And whether
there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part,
and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect
is come, then that which is in part shall be done away with."
And that part here, as you read down
through that and you check off the pieces that we fit to or
that describe us, not many of them. This that it's speaking
about here is that love that God instills in his people for
each other and for himself. And it's not something that can
be mustered up or we can have a desire and a a love for people,
and we do have that, but it's pretty variable, it's not steady. We may have some of these thoughts
occasionally, but it's not, our makeup is not as this describes,
it just isn't. And only in him can we have a
knowledge of any of this. And then verse 11, it says, When
I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought
as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then
shall I know even as I am known. Now abideth faith, hope, charity,
these three, but the greatest of these is charity. And here
where it says, we see through a glass darkly, but then face
to face. The knowledge that we have and
the visions that we have of how things are is seen darkly. It's seen darkly. We can read
these things, and it says that, This should be these things that
said the greatest of these is charity or love that we have
for the Lord and for his people because of him. This is a pretty
high bar to set and only can be perfected and can be brought
out in him and not in any of ourselves. In the, The book of
Song of Solomon, and these verses are on the back of the bulletin
today. Let me get there. I know it's
in this book. Okay, Song of Solomon and chapter
five. And if you have that bulletin,
you can just turn it over on the back. It's in Song of Solomon
chapter five, starting with verse nine, or actually verse nine
and verse 16. Here, a picture of the, the woman, as a picture here,
the woman, or of the church that is asked a question of those
others that were around. And they said, what is thy beloved
more than another beloved? O thou fairest among women. What
is thy beloved more than another beloved that thou dost charge
us? Looking to see if she was looking
for this beloved one. And then verse 16 says, After, in between describing
the loved one, it says, his mouth is most sweet. Yea, he is altogether
lovely. This is my beloved and this is
my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. So that is the picture there. And that word in there for beloved is most lovely, altogether lovely
is, Machmad, and I don't speak Hebrew, but that word means delightful,
object of affection or desire, beloved and lovely. And here
describing the Lord as the church sees him in that. Turn to the book of Romans, if
you would, Romans chapter eight. And these are passages that describe
these things, and this is all, the love that is brought about
in his people for him is totally a work of his and not of ours. And this only comes about in
regeneration, when God reveals himself to his people, these things come about, these
things become part of us. Romans chapter eight, and this explains some of this
to us, I think. Starting with verse one, it says,
there is therefore now no condemnation whatsoever in Christ Jesus, who
walked not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For the law
of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from
the law of sin and death, For what the law could not do and
that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son
in the likeness of sinful flesh and force in condemned sin in
the flesh. That the righteousness of the
law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh
but after the spirit. For they that are after the flesh
do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit,
the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is
death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because
the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to
the law of God, neither indeed can be. So they that are in the
flesh cannot please God. Just stop there for that second. That verse explains a lot. Natural
man in the flesh cannot please God. There's nothing in natural
man that can please God. can please God or that can be
brought to God that brings any notice of natural man. And it
says the carnal mind's enmity against God, positive hatred,
that's pretty much opposite of what love for God would appear
to be. And then starting at verse nine
again, but you're not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if
so be the spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have
not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ
be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life
because of righteousness. But if the spirit of him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised
up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by his spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we
are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh. For
if you lived after the flesh, you shall die. But if through
the spirit you mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live.
For as many are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of
God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to
fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we
cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness
with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children,
then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if so
be we suffer with him. that we may be glorified together.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed
in us." A lot of ground covered in this particular passage and
how it applies to what we're and I think how it speaks to
what we're saying is that it's not of the flesh. We can't build
up or bring up or teach or muster up love of God other than the
fact that he puts life in us. If we are in the spirit, if we
are his, as we are led by the spirit, as it says, they're sons
of God, in that way we can love God. as it needs to be in Him
because of who we stand in. We stand in all that Christ has
done for us. We're dressed with that robe
of righteousness and inside of that, it covers everything and
it covers all. areas, and love of God is one
of them. Love of the brethren, because of what God has done
for us, that comes out. We can understand that, and we
do have an affinity for those that are the Lord's people and
have affinity. But still, if we change so fast, it isn't just
a constant. Ours isn't a constant love for
the brethren, let alone for our loved ones of our family. That
can swing wildly, and it does. And as we are that type of people
in the flesh, that's what natural love is. And the only way we
can have a true lover or have that perfected in us is of what
he's done. It's not, it's just not something that
can be worked up. And here, this also speaks down
through here that we're not in bondage if we are in him. And
then 1 John there, chapter four, it goes on and talks about that
we don't have a fear of God. We don't have a terror of the
judgment of God. And this speaks to the same thing.
We're not in terror of that. And God's love to us and having redeemed a people,
that is a work of the Spirit in God's people. In the same chapter, just two
verses, verse 28 that says here, we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them that are the
called according to his purpose. And then verse 39 says, nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature shall be able to separate us from the love
of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord." We can't be separated
from that. And it's not dependent again
on our mood or our thoughts of things. As we said, our love
toward God, it can be pretty distant or nonexistent,
seemingly, or cold, or it can be really strong, and it varies. And we have some of the instances
of that in the book of the Psalms and other places of God's people
saying that If he doesn't cause that, then it's not there just
because we're thankful as it is for what God has done for
us, but he has to reveal that and put that in us. In the book
of Ephesians, in the first chapter, it speaks to these things also. It says, starting at verse 13
of Ephesians 1, it says, verse 12, that we should be to
the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ. in whom he
also trusted, after that she heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that she believed
you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the
earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased
possession unto the praise of his glory. Wherefore, I also,
after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love to all
the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention
of you in prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation and the knowledge of him the eyes of your understanding
being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his
calling and the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the
saints." And here it says, that, heard of your faith in the Lord
and the love unto all the saints. And again, I think that there's
a common there's a commonality. All of God's people have that
in common, and that is more in common than we have with blood
relatives. I mean, that is a deeper connection,
and we've said, and I think that all have acknowledged it, We
have closer ties in those thoughts and things than we do with our
own family. Very few in our family that are
believers that we have that tie with, and a lot of our family
that are not believers and we just don't have that affinity
in that same way. Often if we bring those things
up and speak of those things, it's not welcome and it's not
something that is, barring the Lord changing hearts, it is not
a welcome thing. Just a couple more spots. In
the book of John chapter eight, I just wanted to make a couple
of points this morning and we'll have a little more time for visiting
in just a bit. But in chapter eight of John
and verse, This goes along with what we're
seeing and then what the Lord has to do. It says, verse 12,
then spake Jesus again unto them saying, I am the light of the
world. He that followeth me shall not
walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. And how that
connects with that is, The love of the brethren and the love
of God himself is only brought about as we walk in that light,
if we're in that light, and as he is in the light, not darkness
at all. And we do those things, and as
Paul said, I have to keep referring back to what Paul had to say
about his ability and inability. And we relate with that when
he says, those things that I would like to do, I can't seem to do,
I don't do. And the things I don't wanna
do, I seem to do those. And he says, what's the answer?
And he says, I think the Lord himself, Lord Jesus Christ, he
is the answer to the fix of that. And I think that I've said before
that those things that Paul was talking about doing or not doing
aren't things that are typically thought of as bad or good things. I don't think he had a problem
with theft or with, you know, things like that. But I think
he refers directly to those things that the scripture says that
come about in salvation, and he is the only one that can bring
those things about. save sinners, but we are still
sinners and that's never gonna change in this world. And we
don't have a dread or a fear of God, but we have a desire
to be those things that scripture say. And then one last spot in
John chapter 13, and not exhausting the thoughts that
are about that, but just a few about love of God and the brethren
and the perfect of it. In John chapter 13, it says, verse 34 and 35 of John chapter
13, it says, a new commandment I give unto you. that ye love
one another, as I have loved you, and that ye also love one
another. But this shall all men know,
that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Like I said, this is a spiritual
work that God has to do in this and sometimes we see it in the
physical level and sometimes not so much, but it's going to
be there and it says here, This shall all men know that
you are my disciples, if you have love one to another. And
I think that the only way that can come about is by the new
birth and by the work of the Spirit in us. And one of the,
part of the fruit of the Spirit is love. And all those other
attributes speaks about that. And that will be there. God puts
that in his people and it will be there. Sometimes it looks
pretty thin, but especially to ourselves, but is there nonetheless. And that is, as the scripture
says, Christ in us, the hope of glory. That's the only hope
we have is if we are in him and as he reveals himself to us.
So with that, we're gonna disconnect the train for today and we'll
pick it up at another time. Thank you for your attention
this morning. and be free.