Everybody loves a love story. Boys learn early not to act like
it and kind of act gruff when they think about having to watch
a movie on television. It doesn't have anything to do
with those things, but the boys do too. Everybody loves a love story. Love a love song. We like to
hear about, talk about, and sing about love. No man However, ever
loved a woman perfectly. No woman ever loved a man perfectly. No mother or father ever loved
a child perfectly. And no child ever loved a mother
or dad perfectly. We know nothing about perfect
love. unless we lift our eyes to heaven
and behold the love of God in Christ. Now that's my subject
this evening, perfect love. If we would understand anything
about perfect love, we must find what God says in his word about
perfect love. I want to talk to you tonight
about perfect love God the Holy Spirit inspired his servant John
to describe that love of God for us that is in Christ Jesus
the Lord. Four times in this epistle of
love and John's purpose in writing this epistle is to assure us
of God's love for us. His purpose in writing the epistle
is is to assure every believing sinner of God's love for us in
Christ Jesus. So that if you believe on the
Son of God, the Holy Spirit here gives these five chapters of
1 John to give this assurance to you. God loves you. And if God loves you, then all
is well. Perfect love. Look at what John
tells us here. In chapter 2, verse 5, we read,
in him verily the love of God is perfected. Whosoever keepeth
his word, in him verily the love of God is perfected. Chapter
4, verse 12, John tells us that God's love is perfected in us,
brought to its completion. It's finality, it's fullness,
it's perfection in us. Then in verse 17, he states it
another way. He says, herein is our love made
perfect. I'll say more about this in a
few minutes, the Lord willing. But if you'll take the moment
to look over the marginal translation given in your Bible of this 17th
verse, our translators very honestly would often give us a marginal
translation to let us know that there is an alternate translation
that is just as legitimate as the one they've given. And here
in the marginal translation, we're told that herein is love
with us made perfect. John is telling us that God's
love in us, God's love with us is made perfect in the sweet
experience of God's saving grace. Then in chapter 4 verse 18, we're
told that perfect love casteth out fear. Perfect love casteth
out fear. Whatever perfect love is, whatever
perfect love is, the person who has the possession of that, The
person who knows that has no reason ever to be afraid of anything
or anyone. Perfect love casteth out fear. I'm sure interested in that.
Aren't you? Perfect love that forbids fear. Perfect love that forbids fear. John has been talking to us about
the love of God. He tells us about love made perfect. Herein is love with us made perfect. He's been telling us about God's
marvelous, infinite, eternal love for his elect in Christ
Jesus. Look at what he tells us here.
Look at chapter three. God's love for us. is revealed in the
revelation of our dear Savior in our hearts by His Spirit. It is the revelation of our union
with Christ, our redemption by Christ, our salvation in Christ. Look here in chapter 3. Behold
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us. This love
that I'm talking about, this perfect love, is a love that
God bestows upon men. 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 death 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 every man that hath this
hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Look at verse
16. Hereby perceive we the love of
God. This is how we come to know God's
love. This is how we see God's love,
because he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down
our lives for the brethren. We perceive God's love when Christ
crucified is revealed in us. We perceive, we understand, we
know God's love when we see Jesus Christ crucified as our substitute. Now that's John's subject throughout
this epistle. He continues it here in chapter
four, look at verse seven. Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is of God. And everyone that loveth is born
of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not
God, for God is love. Verse nine, in this was manifested,
in this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that
God sent his only son, his only begotten son into the world,
that we might live through him. Herein is love. Herein is love. This is the place where you find
love. Herein is love. Not that we love God, but that
he loved us and sent his son to be the perpetuation, the justice
satisfying sacrifice, the justice satisfying atonement, the perpetuation
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. The apostle tells us if
we are born of God, we love one another. Look at verse 13. Hereby
we know 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. Whosoever shall confess that
Jesus, that man born at Bethlehem 2,000 years ago, that insignificant
carpenter's son, that man who walked on the earth in human
flesh, Anybody who believes that that man is the Son of God, he
is the one of whom God spoke throughout the Old Testament
Scriptures, the one who accomplished redemption for his people, the
one who fulfilled all the prophets of the Old Testament. That person
is born of God. Lord, I believe that Jesus is
the Son of God. I believe that, do you? I believe
that Jesus, that insignificant nobody who died at Calvary, is
the Son of God. God in human flesh. He fully
accomplished redemption. Well, that means I'm born of
God. God dwells in me, and I dwell in God. God dwells in me, and
I dwell in God. And we have known and believed
the love that God hath to us. God is love. He that dwelleth
in love dwelleth in God and God in him. If we are born of God,
we love one another. Now that's just fact. That's
just fact. It's an indisputable fact, plainly
revealed in scripture. He that loveth not knoweth not
God, for God is love. God's people love one another. They love one another because
they are Christ. Love one another not because
of what they do. Caroline sitting here tonight,
as soon as I saw her, she started talking to me about her husband
a little bit, and she loves him. And I know why. Because there
are things in him to attract your love. Because there are
things about the man appealing to her. He won her heart by things
he did and the way he behaved. And thus she loves him. That's
how we love individuals. But not so with believers loving
each other. You may or may not love me because
of the way I talk and things I do. You have plenty of reason
not to love me. But if I'm in Christ, And you're
in Christ, we love each other because we're Christ. You understand
that? Love each other because we're
Christ. The person who is in Christ is one with Christ. The
person who is in Christ cannot be separated from Christ. Those
who are born of God love one another. They're born of God
because each of us are ourselves in Christ Jesus. Those who are
born of God love one another and God dwells in us and his
love is perfected in us. Our love to one another really
is the reflection and the fruit of God's love to us. And therefore
our love to one another demonstrates the truthfulness of that faith
that we profess in Christ Jesus. God's love is made perfect in
us. Look at verse 17. Herein is our
love made perfect. Herein is love made perfect in
us. John's telling us what he meant
in verse 12 when he said his love is perfected in us. John
Gill informs us that the Syric version translates these words.
Herein is his love made perfect. And the Latin Vulgate translates
the words, herein is God's love with us made perfect. So this
is what John's talking about here in the 17th verse. He's
talking about God's love being perfected in us, in the experience
of his grace. He's not talking about us loving
each other. That love is not perfect, not
here. He's not talking about our love for God. That love is
not perfect, not here. He's talking about God's love
for us. Now, that's perfect. That's perfect. If we look for assurance and
peace, the removal of fear based upon our love for one another,
Bill, if we claim to have it, we're liars and deceivers and
self-righteous. If we're honest, we have to acknowledge
I had no assurance. Because my love, even for my
wife and my wife as a believer is not perfect love. And my love
for you is not. My love for God is not perfect. What's he talking about then
when he talks about perfect love? He's talking about God's love
for us. God's love for, oh, if I can
be persuaded that God really does love me. If you can be persuaded
that God really does love you, perfect love casteth out fear. John's talking then about God's
love for us and the revelation of that love in his grace. Turn
back to Romans chapter 5. I've referred to this several
times in this course's preaching through 1 John, and I'll refer
to it several times more. This is where we know the love
of God. It is in the experience of grace.
That is, when God, the Holy Spirit, reveals Christ in us, raises
us from the dead, gives us faith in Christ, sprinkles the conscience
with the blood of Christ, so that we are born of God, taught
of God, and believe in God by the gift of God. Romans chapter
5 verse 1. Therefore being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Being justified by his grace through the redemption that's
in Christ Jesus. Justified because of who Christ is, what he did,
and because we're one with him. Justified by his blood and righteousness,
we have peace with God. We have peace with God. Read
on. by whom also we have access by faith into this grace, this
grace of peace and free justification, wherein we stand, wherein we
stand firmly fixed, firmly planted, and rejoice in hope of the glory
of God. And not only so, but we glory
in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience,
and patience experience and experience hope. And hope maketh not a shame. And what's this? Hope maketh
not a shame. Hope doesn't confuse. Hope doesn't
confound. Hope doesn't cause you to blush
with embarrassment. Hope doesn't put you in a haste
to flee in fear. Hope maketh not a shame because,
because, you see it? Why doesn't hope make a shame?
Why is it he that believeth shall not be confounded? He that believeth
shall not be confused. He that believeth shall not make
haste. Hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us. God's love is shed abroad in
our hearts by the Holy Ghost. You see, assurance Peace with
God always has reference to something that has transpired within. Now, please understand me. The basis of our hope before
God is altogether out of ourselves. We hope in the blood and righteousness
of God's son, him who sits on the throne of glory. Our only
righteousness is his obedience. Our only atonement is his blood,
but there is no hope until Christ is in you, you may partakers
of the divine nature, Christ in you, the hope of glory, Christ
in you, shedding abroad the love of God. I had a young man ask
me Saturday morning, no, Friday afternoon, after hearing me preach
a couple of times, he said, how then do we tell sinners that
God loves them? Who ever told you to tell sinners
God loves them? That was just my response. This book doesn't. This book
doesn't. Find me a place in this book
where any sinner outside Christ is assured or even given a hint
that God might love him. The wrath of God's on you. God's
furious with you. God's angry with you. The soul
that sinneth it shall die. But the gospel is to reveal God's
love. No, the gospel is to reveal God's
righteousness. Well, What does that do? It causes sinners to know they
have no hope apart from Christ. It's not our business to try
to assure folks that God loves them. Our business is to point
folks to Christ and call on sinners to believe on the Son of God.
Now hear me, now hear me. God help you now to believe His
Son. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ
and life eternal given you in Christ. Jesus is the declaration
of God that you're his faith in Christ is the fruit and the
evidence of God's election, Christ's redemption, the spirit's call
and the new birth faith in Christ through this love of God shed
abroad in our hearts. All right. Now, here's the second
thing John mentions. He mentions the day of judgment. He says,
herein is God's love made perfect in us that we may have boldness
in the day of judgment. Now, that seems strange. That
seems strange. Religion, especially the Baptist
kind, especially the conservative, fundamentalist Baptist kind,
lives on making folks scared of God. It thrives on making
folks scared of God. But herein is love made perfect
in us that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. Boldness
in the day of judgment? Who ever heard of such a thing?
Don't you believe in judgment to come? Oh yes. Oh yes. And
there's somebody going to have boldness in the day of judgment.
So that the believer has no reason to tremble to meet God in judgment. No reason to fear meeting God
in judgment. The unbeliever shakes, quakes,
and trembles. Not the believer. No reason.
No reason. When the Spirit of God comes
in the blessed comforting work of the Spirit, he convinces God's
people of their sin, of their sin. He begins the work of consolation
by making you know who you are sin, that's all. and of righteousness. Righteousness finished by the
blood of Jesus Christ. Righteousness brought in by the
obedience and death of God's son. And judgment. Judgment because
the prince of this world is judge. So that when God the Holy Spirit
gives life and faith, he causes the sinner who looks to Christ
to understand there is therefore now, what does the book say? No condemnation to them that
are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit. Being born of God, living by
faith in Christ, we live in the Spirit. And now, knowing Jesus
Christ, our Redeemer, have no dread, no fear, no condemnation,
because Christ has finished the judgment. that we may have boldness
in the day of judgment. Bold shall I stand in that great
day, for who else to my charge shall lay, while through Christ's
blood absolved I am from sin's tremendous guilt and blame. God's saints look at the day
of judgment with longing, anxiously awaiting it. At least
we ought to. You remember how Paul wrote to
the Corinthians, those false brethren who accused him of being
a self-serving false prophet, a man who preached for gain?
He said, with me, it is a very small thing that I be judged
of you or a man's judgment. Yeah, I judge not my own self,
but there's a day coming. when God's gonna put everything
in its true light. There's a day coming when God's
gonna put everything in its true light. I'm waiting for that day.
I'm waiting for that day. Boldness in the day of judgment?
How can that be? God's people, redeemed sinners,
believing sinners, saved by God's free grace, in that day when
we're called to stand before his august throne, We'll speak
to Him freely and without fear. We will ascribe all praise, honor,
and glory to God our Savior. And we will freely express our
love and adoration to Him forever. Would you have boldness in the
day of judgment? What's the basis of it? How can
you have that? Read the text again. Read the
last line, verse 18. Herein is our love, God's love
with us made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day
of judgment because, because as he is, so are we in this world. Oh, what an astounding statement.
Lord willing, in a couple of weeks, I'm going to come back
and make one more stab at trying to expand that a little bit.
But let me give you just a hint. If you're a believer, if you're
a child of God, if if just now, since you walked into this building,
God Almighty has opened the windows of heaven and dropped his grace
in your heart so that right now You believe on His Son. You have
just begun to live. You've just begun to believe
on Christ. Or if you walked with my Redeemer
for 50 or 60 years, this is what God says of you. As He is, so
are we in this world. That's true of every sinner who
believes on the Son of God. Is he free of sin? So are we. Is he accepted of God? So are
we. Is he perfect? So are we. Is he the holy one? So are we. Is he God's delight? So are we. As he is. in all his mediatorial
character and glory. As he is, as the God-man, our
Savior, as he is, so are we in this world. We're one with him.
Near, so very near to God, nearer I cannot be, for in the person
of his Son I am as near as he. Dear, so very dear to God, Dearer
I cannot be, for in the person of His Son I am as dear as He. Charlie, can you half believe
that? Can you half believe that? As
He is, so are we in this world. Oh, don't take that too far. Oh God, give me grace, give me
understanding, give me faith to pick up that declaration from
your word and run as far as the stretches of my mind's imagination
and my heart's desire can go and understand, as he is, so
are we in this world. You haven't begun to stretch
the meaning of the word. You haven't begun to stretch
the meaning of inspiration. As He is, so are we in this world. Now, here is the fourth thing
John tells us in our text. Perfect love casteth out fear. There is no fear in love, but
perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment. Fear
hath torment. We can identify with that, can't
we? He that feareth is not made perfect in love. He that feareth
doesn't have God's love perfected in him. What is this perfect
love? What is it? Turn back to John
chapter 17. at the end of our Lord's great
high priestly prayer, and I'll show you exactly what it is.
Now, while you're turning, let me make four or five statements
concerning God's love, things you're familiar with, but things
that you need to remember and remember constantly. God is love. That's the first thing. That's
who God is and what God is. God is love. Second, God commends
his love to us in the sacrifice of his son. God commendeth his
love to us in the while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us. And third, the triune God always
acts in love for his people. Everything God does, God does
in love for his own. When you get to the end of the
book of Job and you're reading, tomorrow I think it is if you're
keeping up with the readings, when you get to the end of the
book of Job, you understand what Job understood all the way through
the book. His friends couldn't get it, but Job understood it
all the way through the book. The book tells us that all that
God did to Job, but Satan did that. Will you ever learn that
Satan can't move without getting permission from God? Satan can't wiggle without getting
permission from God. He's God's devil. He's God's
devil. And God uses him as an instrument
to accomplish his purpose of good for his servants like Job. All that God did to Job. God
did because of his love for Job. You mean when God sent horrible storms and destroyed
his property? Enemies and destroyed his family?
Famine and destroyed his cattle? God sent disease and destroyed
his health? God caused that even his wife
should rise up and say, why don't you cuss God and die? When Job
had stood in the gates and when Job walked by, the small children
said, oh, that's Mr. Job. He's somebody. And the old men tipped their
hats at him. Everybody respected Job. And now Job had become a
byword to everybody. And the children laugh at him.
You mean God did that because he loved Job? That's the only
reason, just because he loved Job. Just because he loved Job,
and you're going to prove it. You're going to prove it to Job
like it could not be proved otherwise. So it is with you and with me
who are gods. Everything God does to us, with
us, or for us, he does because of his love for us in Christ
Jesus the Lord. Everything. He only acts in love. He only acts in love toward his
own. He only acts in judgment toward
the reprobate. He only acts toward Jacob like
he loves Jacob. And he only acts toward Esau
like he hates Esau. So it is in all things. The chariot
that carries God's people through this world, our Savior who died
through this world, is paved with love for the daughters of
Jerusalem. In love, He predestinated us
unto everlasting glory. And God sheds this love abroad
in us, in the gift of life. And fifthly, God's love is made
perfect in us when He gives us faith in Christ. God's love is
made perfect in us when he gives us faith in Christ so that we
sinful, fickle, dirty, vile, helpless sinners may lift our
eyes to heaven with confidence that God loves me. I know he
does. He gave his son for me. And if
he gave his son for us, if he spared not his son, how shall
he not with him also freely give us all things? Now, look at our
Lord's prayer here in John 17. Just before he went up to die
for us, the Lord Jesus prays for his people. The first part of his prayer
clearly is for his apostles, those those who were his servants
presently. But he expands the prayers as
he gets to the end. He said, Father, neither pray
I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me
through their word. He said, I'm asking these things
not just for these few here and now. But for all my chosen people,
for all my bride, for all the objects of my mercy and grace,
for all my sheep who shall believe on me through the word that they
preach for all time, I'm praying for all my people. Now this is
what he prays. Father, I will. I will. He speaks now as one
who has a right to make a claim from God. How can that be? He's the covenant head. He's
the covenant head who represents all the people. And he comes
now not to beg, not to plead with God that he might pretty
please do something, but on the basis of having finished the
work which God gave him to do as the covenant sheriff, mediator,
and high priest. He says, Father, this is my will. Now do it. This is my will, now
do it, that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where
I am, that they may behold my glory, my glory which thou hast
given me, for thou lovest me from the foundation before the
foundation of the world. O righteous father, the world
hath not known thee, but I have known thee, And these have known
that thou hast sent me, and I have declared unto them thy name,
and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved
me may be in them, and I in them." With those words, our Savior
speaks in the hearing of his disciples. and tells us the meaning
of his life, death, and resurrection as our substitute. Here our Savior
speaks to us and tells us what he had done, what he would do,
and why. In a word, the Lord Jesus here
declares in the hearing of his disciples the entire purpose
of his existence in our flesh. He summarizes the whole of his
work and he asserts the purpose of God in it all that the love
wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them. We read our Savior as he speaks
hanging upon the curse tree And he cries, my God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me? And yet he continues to pray,
uttering the words of his roaring, pleading with God all the while,
pleading with him with confidence, with assurance that God held
him as the object of his love. even as it poured out his wrath
upon him. There was never a time, there
was never a time, Merle, when our Lord Jesus ever lacked assurance
of the Father's love, even when he was made sin for us. Never a time, never a time. Now listen to me, listen to me. God's love for you is all together
in his son. Can you find a reason at any
point in your history or in all of history when God should not
love his son? Can you find a reason at any
point in your history or in all history, when the Lord Jesus was not the object of his father's
love. Oh, he hid his face from him.
He turned his back on him, but never ceased to cherish his son. And if God Almighty loves his
son, and I'm in his son, And all my claim of God is in His
Son. There's never a reason for me
to question God's love for me. Not when I feel somewhat saintly or when I feel hellish. Not when I feel full of life
and not when I feel full of death. Not when I am most obedient or
when I am most disobedient. The love of God for us is in
his son. That's perfect love. This perfect
love belongs to all who trust his son. And God's love for his
people in his son cast out fear. This is known by the sweet revelation
of God's grace. Let me read something to you.
I got this from Spurgeon a long time ago. He preached this to his congregation
more than 150 years ago. A little bit lengthy, but I want
you to hear it. Do not tell me that God the Father does not
love you as he does Christ. The point can be settled by the
grandest matter of fact that ever was. When there was a choice
between Christ and his people, which should die of the two,
the Father freely delivered up his own son that we might live
through him. Oh, what a meeting there must
have been of the seas of love that day when God's great love
to us came rolling in like a glorious spring tide and his love for
his son came rolling in at the same time. If they had met and
come into collision, we cannot imagine the result. But when
they both took to rolling together in one mighty torrent, what a
stream of love was there. The Lord Jesus sank that we might swim. He sank that
we might rise and now we're born onward forever by the mighty
sweep of infinite love into everlasting blessedness which tongues and
lips can never fully set forth. Oh, be ravished with this. Be
carried away with it. Be it in ecstasy at love so amazing,
so divine, the Father loves you even as he loves his Son. After
the same manner and sort, he loveth all his redeemed. John was ravished as he heard
the Savior say that the love wherewith Thou hast loved me,
be in them, and I in them. And his soul stayed ravished
with that fact, until as an old man, he writes to God's people,
writes to you and me, and he tells us, 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. Would you go home with no reason ever to be afraid
of God? With no reason ever to be afraid
of God. Believe on the Son of God. Oh, believe on the Son of God
if you can. Oh, if God will give you grace
to believe on the Son of God. Hear what God says. His love
is perfected in you.