1 John chapter 4 one more time,
and I'd like to begin by reading verses 17 through the end of
the chapter, verse 21. 1 John chapter 4. Chapter 4, verse 17, it says,
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 commandment have we from him that he who loveth God
loveth his brother also. It continues some of the theme
that's been through the book and through the previous chapters
and for this chapter about how we know that we are in him and
some evidences of that, that his spirit bears witness with
our spirit that we are the sons of God and of his love to us
and what that brings about in ourselves. And I'd like to read
the first verse of chapter three that we had spent some time in.
that it says in the first two verses of chapter three of First
John, it says, behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed
upon us that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore, the
world knoweth us not because it knew him not. Beloved, now
are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall
be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like
him for we shall see him as he is. And those thoughts go along
with what he said there. In the first chapter, also remember
what John is saying that speaks of him who is from the beginning,
that the Lord himself, which they had seen, which they had
laid hands on, and says of the word of life. And that surely
describes our Lord himself is that word of life that says they
had handled and been in his presence. who John is speaking of here
to us and to his people. And as it says that are sons
of God, that it says in chapter three, verse one there, and that
he has called us sons of God, if we are his. And it says also
in verse two, we are the sons of God and doth not yet appear
what we shall be. But we know that when he shall
appear, we shall be like him. We will see him as he is. And
we'll see how those thoughts connect with what chapter four
is saying here. I wrote just a couple of statements. I didn't want to forget, so I
wrote them down how I kind of wanted them to be. And I wrote
here. We that are in Christ Jesus is
God's perfect love in us that is our redemption as the elect
of God. The end of God's love is the
new birth in us. Because of the new birth from
God to us, we see some of the outworking of it. Two of these
outworkings that we're gonna see in this passage that we're
gonna look at, that we can see and attest to is one, the boldness
or confidence we have in the face of judgment, it says, and
secondly, no fear or terror before our God. both things that can
only come about and can only be imparted to us with the new
birth. There's no boldness, as it says
here in verse 17, We'll read down through here in this verse
17, again through 21, where it says, our love is made perfect
that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because
as he is, so are we in this world. And verse 18, 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. And here are several places where
it speaks about His love being made perfect in
us isn't speaking of our love to Him. That is part of it, but
that's not a critical part of how we stand. The critical part
is His love to us being perfected. The outworking of that is the
new birth. That's the ultimate goal and
sight in that of God was the new birth of his elect, and through
that, his honor and glory. I mean, that's the ultimate goal
of God. all of the church as a whole
is to sing that new song, Worthy is the Lamb, and that we know
those words and say those words now, but in that day, when the
whole church of God is complete in Him, In that day, there will
be one chorus and that will be to worship the Lamb as it speaks
in Revelation. So I'd like to look at a couple
of places here. We may have boldness in the day
of judgment. In that boldness in the day of
judgment, there's a couple of thoughts that that It tends to, you could follow
either direction somewhat. One of them is in the day of
judgment of man, of what men say, how men judge us. We can
stand boldly there because not only do we not answer to men,
but we have a higher one than us that stands in our
place and has stood in our place. But the judgment that we have
of religion or of men as the world as a whole, we have pretty
good ground to stand on. We don't have to take a back
seat to anyone in religion that's in a religion. And as been said
before, it doesn't matter how many churches are on the street,
where the gospel is preached, not in competition, because if
the gospel is not preached, it's a different category altogether.
It's just religion, and there's no competition there, or there's
no being judged by other religion or other man's religion or man's
thoughts. And then boldness in the day
of judgment, in that final day, when we stand before him. We're
not going to be standing before him judged of ourselves. We stand in him in that day. And it talks in the scripture,
it says we're going to stand before him in that day and answer
for things. But our answer is look to him
and look to the one that is the one that is the judge of
all, we stand in him. And so we have boldness and confidence
in that day. And also that second thought about
fear or torment, that's not an issue to God's people, isn't
what our disposition will be at that time. Our end is His sheep stand in Him and they're
going to be on the right-hand side. And it's not as men in religion place that
thought and those thoughts, that that's decided at that time.
That's not decided at that time. We know that those that he died
for that are in the Lamb's Book of Life are a fixed number, whatever
that number might be. So there's no, there's no terror in that. And the boldness it speaks about
isn't, boldness in the way that we would
be maybe speaking boldly to other men or other people. It's a confidence
that we have in him. He is our consolation and our
confidence that we stand in that day and confident in Whom has
redeemed us? Who has redeemed us? That's the
boldness we have. It's not a flippant or a prideful
thing. It's a confidence in Him and
not a confidence or boldness in ourself that it speaks about. And the fear or terror, as it
says here, fear hath torment. I don't, you know, unbelievers
don't even have the awareness to be terrified of what the judgment
is of being outside of Christ and not being one of the sheep. That's a real terror and it's
not made known, that fear or terror of that is not even made
revealed until God is, I think, working with his people in salvation. We're not wise enough to even
have a realization of that until he puts that in us and reveals
that to us. And then the fear here that it's
speaking about is not the fear of God as the godly fear that
God's people have for him or a reverence or an awe. That's
a godly fear, but it's not a fear or terror type. It's a different,
it has a different meaning there that it has. And then it says,
he that feareth is not made perfect in love. And I think it kind
of goes along with the thought and what Russ has said. If we
are not, if we are not, if we have not had the new birth, then
we cannot say that we don't have that fear that's in him. It's
only made perfect, it says, in perfect love or in the regeneration
against his people. We're not aware of those things.
We can read or tell people all day long what the scripture says
about what man's condition is like and what the need is of
salvation, but until God reveals it, personally to a person, it
just, we can't comprehend it. We can't understand it. And only
God's people are privy to some of those things that can only
be known in the spirit and by his spirit. And so I'd like to
look at, that being said, I'd like to look at a few places
that speak to this and that give us some other scriptures
that speak about this. In the book of Romans, in the
book of Romans, several places, but turn to the book of Romans
chapter eight. The whole of the book of Romans, It's much like the book of Hebrews
is to explaining the Old Testament and the priesthood and the sacrifices
and those things that used to be really confusing, but the
book of Hebrews opens up a lot of that. in that and God has
to reveal those things also to us. But in the book of Romans,
it lays out in pretty simple and plain language the condition
that man is like and is in by nature. And what the cure to
that is and what the end of that is with barring God's intervention
But as plain as it is, man still cannot understand it without
him revealing these things to his people. But in the chapter
eight of Hebrews, I mean of Romans, I'd like to read a couple of
verses of that and then additional verses in there. But in Romans, I'm gonna read verse one to start
with. It says, there is therefore now
no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the spirit. And then verse 11,
and you'll see where we're going. Verse 11 of Romans 8 says, 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. And then
verses starting with verse 14 and reading down a bit of Romans
8. It says, verse 14, for as many
as 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 that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. And this, we're gonna look a
little more here, but in this passage here, it speaks here.
It says that many of us are led by the spirit of God, they're
the sons of God. And you hit verse 15, you have
not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but I've received
the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. And here, the reason that we can have that
boldness that John speaks about in 1 John is here, that we have
not received a spirit of bondage, but we receive the spirit of
adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The connection is there. We are, and as 1 John said there
in chapter three, verse one, Behold what love has shown to
us. He's called us the children of God. And then with this thought
here, because of that, we're kin to God. We're children of
God, as it said. We're by the adoption of children
to himself. And that he himself calls us
his children. And it says that you have received
the spirit of adoption in verse 15, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the
children of God. then heirs, heirs of God, and
joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that
we may be also glorified together. But here, this is, in the new
birth, this is part and parcel of it, that he reveals this and
shows us this, that we are, in him, it says we cry Abba,
Father. It's not God as a terror now
to his people. There's a relationship that only
he can cause to bring about, and when he does do that, it
brings a real peace, and we're gonna look at a section that
speaks about that. And then also here in Romans,
while we're in chapter eight, look down to verse 27. and following
for a little bit. It says, verse 27, and he that
searches the hearts know what is the mind of the spirit because
he make an intercession for the saints according to the will
of God. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom
he did predestinate, them he also called. Whom he called,
them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he
also glorified. What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us. And then it goes on,
who shall separate us from the love of Christ? And we're gonna
look a little farther in a minute. But here, speaking in this four
verses here, Not only are we called children of God, as it
says here, but it says here, who can condemn us? It's Christ
that died, yet rather is risen again. at the right hand of God
who maketh intercession for us. And it says, verse 33, who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justified. There's no charge that can be
leveled against us. In the flesh, there may be many
charges that can be leveled against us by other men as far as outwardly
goes in that. But before God, there's no charge
that can be laid against God's people in him. He either has
covered it all, as it said, and has taken care of all that sin
of his people, or he didn't. And if it means what it says,
as it says here, who can condemn? In him, we are free. In him, we are justified. In him, we stand in him. And
not as a as a prideful thing and of ourselves,
because we know that, as it says, in us, in our flesh, there's
no good thing comes from the flesh. It's all in the spirit
that it's been taken care of. by him, and because of that,
there's no charge that can be leveled against us. There's no
charge that God will level against us and can level against us because
of his son, and there's no charge that others can level against
us in this regard. Now, like I say, we don't pay
our debts or something. We can have charges leveled against
us, we know that, that can happen. But that's not what is being
spoken of here. That's not what is being spoken
of. The only condemnation that we ever were connected with was
that condemnation by our nature, but in him we were never under
the wrath of God. We were always in Christ as we've
seen and talked earlier and saw earlier about the love of God
is not contingent upon anything in time. It was constant from
before we can comprehend, we can't comprehend before the foundation
of the world or before time as we know it began. But God's love
on a people was then and it's never, it's been level. We are
so inconstant, but God is never changing. And those things, we
stand in that and there's no condemnation in him. And then
I'd like to read, Verses 35 and down a little bit. The end of
the chapter, it says, who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine
or nakedness or peril or sword? As it is written, for thy sake,
we are killed all the day long. we are counted as sheep for the
slaughtered. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth,
or any other creature shall be able to separate us from the
love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And that, because
of, as it says up here, it is God that justifies it, that's
a pretty conclusive, all-inclusive list of things, and nothing can
separate us from that, that love that He has put on a people,
and indeed has carried out the the terms of the new covenant
to redeem a people. And that is where we stand in,
and that's what we can only and always stand in. And then in the book of Hebrews, turn
to the book of Hebrews, and there's a few things here that are very,
let me go in the right direction here. very speak to what we're
talking about here. In chapter three of Hebrews, chapter three of Hebrews, And
it speaks here of, it speaks earlier part of this chapter
about him that is faithful and that he was faithful to do that
which was necessary and is needful for us as our high priest. And
in Hebrews chapter three, verse 19, And it speaks above here of those
that fell in the wilderness. And it says they fell in the
wilderness because of unbelief. It wasn't because they were sinful
men. It wasn't because of other things.
It says they could not enter in because of unbelief. Okay,
and then starting with verse one of chapter four of Hebrews,
it says, Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us
of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short
of it. For unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them,
but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed
with faith, and then that heard it." That is describing or underlining
or or telling us what verse 19 has to say about unbelief. And
it says, for unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto
them, but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed
with faith, and then that hurt it. And it's not saying they
couldn't work up the faith to believe that. God did not give
them the faith to believe it. If he had have, they would have
believed and not died in the wilderness. The few that did
not die in the wilderness, God gave eyes to see and ears to
hear and understand those things. And then verse three, it says,
for we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said,
as I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest,
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day, on this wise,
God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And this
place again, if they shall enter into my rest, seeing therefore
it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it
was first preached entered not because of unbelief, Again, he
limiteth a certain day, saying in David, today, after so long
a time, it is said, today, if you will hear his voice, hard
not your hearts. For if Jesus, and that's Joshua
in the Old Testament, if Joshua had given them rest, then would
he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth
therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered
into his rest also hath ceased from his own works, as God did
from his. Let us labor, therefore, to enter
into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of
unbelief. For the word of God is quick,
and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the
joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of
the heart. Neither is there any creature
that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and
open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then,
verse 14, it says, seeing then that we have a great high priest
that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us
hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmity,
but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we
may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. And
here, speaking here above this, speaking of the rest that they
didn't enter into, that perished in the wilderness, and it says,
if Joshua had given them rest, then would he have not spoken
of another day? And that rest that is entered
into of his people is, his people have There's no work
to be done. The work has been done. And it
says, as God rested the seventh day, God's people rest in that,
that he has done that, that all has been performed. All has been
done. There is no more to accomplish. work that is left undone. And
it says, let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest
any man fall after the same example of unbelief. And if it were not
for God's grace to his people, we would fall in the same category. They would fall after the same
example, it says, of unbelief. And the only way that that is
overcome is by his doing it, his putting and giving the new
birth to his people. His rest, as it says, we are
justified there in Romans. And as we have boldness and we
can enter because of not of fear, we have entered into that rest. We can enter into that rest.
In the book of Ephesians chapter three, along the same thought
here, along the same thought in Ephesians chapter three, starting with verse eight. Paul speaking of being a minister
unto the gospel, and it says, verse eight, Ephesians 3, unto
me who am less than the least of all saints is this grace given,
that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches
of Christ, and to make all men see what is the fellowship of
the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hidden
God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, to the intent that
now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might
be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the
eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, in
whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith
of him. Wherefore I desire that ye faint
not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this
cause, I bow my knee unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven
and earth is named." But up here, particularly in verse 12, speaking as that which he had
done from the beginning and have done in our Lord and give eternal
life and purpose in Christ Jesus, in whom we have boldness and
access with confidence by the faith of him. By his faith that's
imparted to his people, that is, again, the boldness and access
with confidence we have. He is our confidence. He is the
only way that we can approach the throne of grace is in Him,
in His righteousness and His robe wrapped around us that
we can approach for the throne of grace. And it says here, boldness
and access with confidence by the faith of Him. The only way
that anyone has access to God himself is through the Lord Jesus
Christ. He is the way, the truth, and
the life. And because of him, we have not only boldness, but
we have the only access that is available. He's the only access
available, and none other. We have a great high priest,
and it says, in boldness in him. And then, verse a few more verses in starting
with verse 16 in. In Ephesians 3 here, it says
that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to
be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man,
that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that you being
rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all
saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and
to know the love of Christ, which passeth all understanding, passeth
knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness
of God." A mouthful here that it says here that by his doing
and by his spirit, it says that Christ dwell in your hearts by
faith, being rooted and grounded in love. And then it says here
in verse 18, that may be able to comprehend with all saints
what is the breadth, length, depth, and height, and to know
the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that we might be filled
with all the fullness of God." That is, we see, where it says,
we see in part and we know in part. Where it says here that
we may comprehend What is the breadth? We comprehend so little
of what we have in him. And I think that we not only
do we comprehend very little of what we what we actually have
in our Lord, in Christ, we understand very little of what the fall
did to man, I think, without him revealing that. We don't comprehend, we can't
comprehend the fullness of that, and that he reveals, as he will,
those things a little at a time. And then the last two verses
of this chapter say, verse 20, Now unto him that's able to do
exceedingly abundant above all that we ask or think, according
to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the
church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. And again here, it says unto
him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we
ask or think. He does, and as it says, the
Spirit, in our prayer, we don't even know how to pray, and He
knows what is the mind of the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord
knows the mind of the Lord and knows how to pray for us as we
do not. But the boldness and the position
that we have in Him, We have a, there's a, I have
time for just a couple more thoughts here that I would like to look
at. In Romans, Galatians and Ephesians,
it speaks about the adoption of children. And then it speaks
about the adoption of children to God, to himself, and that
we stand in because of children, again, as he calls his children
in 1 John, that we stand before him, that we can stand before
him. And Ephesians, the first chapter,
I wanna read just a few verses and then one other spot. But Ephesians chapter one, and
it had been said before as in Galatians, chapter one of Ephesians,
is essential to getting on to chapter two. And the same in
Galatians. Chapter one is essential to moving
on to number two, chapter two. Not just in the context of an
order, but to understand what is being talked about. I think
to get some of the sense and the understanding of it. But
in Ephesians chapter one, reading verses three through six, It says, blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According as
he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Having
predestined us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. to the
praise of the glory of his grace when he hath made us accepted
in the beloved. And it goes on, we have redemption
through his blood and it goes on and speaks more about that
and what we have inherited in him. But here speaking about
that he has adoption of children to himself. Well, several things. Verse four,
along with what we've been talking about, that we should be holy
and without blame before Him in love. The only way we can
stand before Him holy and without blame is because of who we stand
in. He gets back to Him again and
stays in that, and the only standing we have is in Him. And then verse
six, and it says, to the praise of the glory of his grace, is
praising his grace to his people, wherein he hath made us accepted
in the beloved. And again, we're accepted in
his sight because of the beloved, because of him, and we stand
in him. And then turn to 1 John chapter three, and as we close
here to the thoughts just for today, speaking about the, the
standing in him. The first two verses again of
chapter three of first John says, behold what manner of love the
father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the
sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us
not because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons
of God. and it doth not yet appear what
we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall
be like him, for we shall see him as he is." And it goes on,
but here, speaking about not only the love of God that calls
us his children, but we are in him that we shall be, and it
says, we shall be like him, for you will see him as he is. We
see him in part now as he reveals himself to us. But again, we
see a small part of the whole of the picture as he reveals
it to us. But this, again, we have no fear
before our God. In him, we have no fear. We stand
in him as perfect and as sanctified and as redeemed ones. And it
says, we love him, verse 19, because he first loved us. And
that is the effect of his cause to us. And only God's people can say that
and know that, that we can stand in that day with no judgment. And it'll be a glorious day for
God's people. Thank you for your attention.
We'll pick this up a little bit next time.