1 John 4:15-21
15 “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God. 16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, we also are in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.19 We love, because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and yet he hates his brother or sister, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother and sister 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 must also love his brother and sister.”
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God: If we believe that Jesus came in the flesh, and that He was nailed to the cross for our sins, then we are given the right to become children of God. This is not a feeling. We can feel all types of things including that we’ve lost our salvation. But these feelings do not reflect reality.
Confidence in the day of judgment…as He is: Being a child of God is a reality for all Christians. We are actually born of God and have a new nature. This means that we can be confident on the day of judgment because we are as righteous as Jesus is righteous. We are no less righteous than Christ Himself. If Christ is not judged, then neither are we judged.
Perfect love drives out fear: The perfect love of God in Christ casts out fear because Jesus has removed all of our sins. If our sins are completely removed, then there is no need to fear condemnation. God is set on maturing us into His love so that no lingering fear remains.
We love, because He first loved us: Love indwells Christians because God, who is love, indwells Christians and has loved us first. Love originates from God and the only reason we love God or one another is because God loves us in Christ. God initiated relationship with us.
The one who loves God: God’s commands are to love Him by believing in the Son, and loving fellow Christians (1 John 3:23). He has rigged the system so that our love for Him is simply and receiving and transmitting of His love for us.
