1 John 5 vs 1-5

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1 John 5 vs 1-5

Calvary Chapel Cherry Creek

May 5, 2024 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • 1 John 5:1–5

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1 John Chapter 5 Verse 1

· John somewhat levels the playing field here after talking so much about love being the physical, observable consequence of salvation by saying that simply loving each other doesn’t save anyone. What saves someone is being born of God and being born of God is believing in Jesus. The Bible is very clear…

· Everyone is born. Raise your hand if you were born! HA! Right!? And, in order to be forgiven of all sin and inherit eternal life, everyone must be born again. Born of water, born of the Spirit or as John puts it here, born of God.

· There’s no room for argument here as some who claim to be of God even today mock the term born-again. That’s simply nonsensical as Jesus was very clear in John Chapter 3 verses 5 – 7, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” So, this church and every other protestant church…, we aren’t born-agains…, we are Jesus believing, Jesus obeying, Bible reading…, CHRISTIANS!

· Are you born again? Simple process John lays out for us in verse one. Check the pattern…, believe, born, love… BOOM! Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God who came and paid for the sins of the world? Yes? You are born of God!

· Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16 verses 15 – 17, “Peter, who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.’” Born of God! Then…, agape/love. It’s agape time!! Believe, born, love! That’s the simple pattern of all heaven humans!

1 John Chapter 5 Verses 2 – 3

· What are the commandments of God? Yes, there are 10 big ones! That’s true. AND Paul told us in Galatians 5 that when love is in the mix, law mutes. It rests. Its overly satisfied! Precisely why Jesus said hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:40) on these two commandments, love God and love others.

· And there’s this revelation that leads us into the next verse set that God’s commandments aren’t burdensome. Legalistic religious living, that’s burdensome. Love God, put Him first, and serve others…, I am my brother’s keeper…, not burdensome at all…, IF IF IF IF IF the Spirit of God is the Captain of your corazon (heart)!

· Remember, God IS love. And so, if you are FILLED with the Holy Spirit and you walk in criticality of others, disdain of others, dislike of others…, there’s a war going on inside of you! You will be peaceless! Burdened! BUT, if you are a Christian, isn’t it hard for you to kick against the goads!? Yes, they’re incessantly stupid but my calling is not to remind them of that but to relieve them of that! Relieve folks of their stupidity! HA! Now there’s a definition of love!!!

· SO, you decide to get in line with the heart of Jesus. You decide to get in line with the heart of God who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…, and in so doing, the peace of God that surpasses understanding enters in and the Bible says (Philippians 4:7) guards your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus! That word for guard means “military protection!” Yes, the moment you love someone that is not being lovable, it will sting… but that one moment will be followed by multiplied moments of merriment in your heart of hearts!

· And maybe, just maybe, you begin to learn that overcoming the world isn’t necessarily having heavenly seconds but rather heavenly minutes, hours and days! Sacrificing the seconds for the seasons…, playing the long game…, precisely what Jesus did on the cross.

1 John Chapter 5 Verses 4 – 5

· Overcoming and being victorious is not a feeling. So many feel like the world is kicking their ever-loving keister and in that they are stumbling and suffering. Brother, the world is going to kick your ever-loving keister. We overcome and are overcomers because we keep getting back up like we never got kicked! That’s the victory!

· John 15:18-20, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.”

· Folks, I hear this all the time, my marriage is so hard, my job is so hard, my kids are so lame, my car is so squeaky, my flesh is so filled with temptations, when will I overcome!? What has any of that to do with overcoming! Jesus was destroyed by this world…, then He got up! Overcoming is being slammed over and over and over again and yet YOU KEEP COMING. YOU ARE OVERCOMING!!!!

· So, what is it that overcomers display, flex, have and activate? It’s not worldy success or the perfect job, or the perfect marriage or the perfect mature this or that or I’m finally free of this temptation…, not at all! It’s faith! Trusting God through the thing. If you aren’t tempted then you have no shot at being faithful! And now we have the complete picture from John. Believe, born, love, FAITH…., rinse and repeat until Goliath FALLS, until Jericho FALLS, until Pharoah FALLS! And here’s the encouragement. Its not when they are defeated that they fall. That’s Jesus’ job when He does His thing on the last day. Its when you never stop coming…, that’s when every weapon formed against you does not prosper!!

· Check this out. Proverbs 24:16, “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.” That word calamity means overcome by grief! So, where’s the victory? Faith! Over and over but you still keep coming! Believe, born, love, faith > rinse and repeat!

1 John 5 vs 14-17

June 2, 2024 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • 1 John 5:14–17

1 John Chapter 5 Verses 14 – 15 · Ok first comment here. Truly it is by God’s grace and love for us that He does not grant us our petitions that are outside of His will! God is perfect, good, holy, righteous and just. So, for this first point, let that describe His will. Makes sense. How many times have I prayed asking for something that is not those things… Many times… · On my worst day, how many times have I prayed for what is opposite of those things? Many times… Imagine for a moment and world filled with the answered prayers of the unjust. Wow, wait a minute, this world sort of seems like that already. I don’t know if that deconstructs the illustration or supports it as we live in a fallen world who today is puppeteered by the prince of the power of the air…, the god of this age… · But the point is that God’s will is good. It is perfect, just and right…, and so I’m going on record saying now that any prayer that includes exiting what God desires for me, I’m glad those prayers get the “No,” from on high. Because I trust the Lord over my, well really, my whatever… · Honestly, have you ever even considered a world where every prayer is answered! It would be ridiculous, really weird, and VERY different. There’s be no sports. Both sides would always win. Praying for that win. There’d be no point! There’d be no gyms, supplements, fitness coaches… You know why? “Bless this food to our body!” HA! Everyday would be a snow day for highschoolers! Doctors? Lawyers? Judges? Pharmacists? Dentists? Psychiatrists? Taxi Drivers? No need! Everybody would be lottery winners! Stupid illustration but man probably the number one complaint in the Body of Christ is about unanswered prayers… · Back to the will of God, second thing to consider with this is what is, and I’m talking specifics now, what is God’s will? How can we know exactly what is the mind and intention and ways of God? The answer is perhaps simpler than you think. It’s not the will of God if it goes against the Word of God. This is a guidepost of truth to remember… It is not the will of God, if it goes against the Word of God… · If someone wrote a book on effective prayer, that book could be the shortest book ever written. HA! First, pray! James says in James 4:2, “You do not have because you do not ask.” That thing you’re dealing with, that you’re facing, that you’re concerned about, that you hope works out…, on and on…, have you prayed about it? There’s a big word in these verses in 1 John and that word is “anything!” So, first sentence in the book on prayer…, we should pray! · Second sentence, filter and align your prayers through the knowledge of the Word of God AND your heart to trust the Lord. Jesus said in John 15:7, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” It’s amazing that folks can be praying and praying and then read their Bibles and they either get the answer or they get the reason why their prayers are being, well, unheard… So, pray and know the Bible. The end. Not sure it would be a best seller. Folks want something easier than that and I get it…, ha. · It really comes down to this. Prayer is not designed to be a means of casting our wishes into heaven but rather a source of confidence and faith-strengthening as our approach to God is intelligent and informed, being rooted in the understanding of the will of God and His promises according to His Word. Then we pray, we pray about everything, and God hears us AND is faithful to His Word… We see it, we perceive it, we know He is trustworthy… 1 John Chapter 5 Verses 16 – 17 · Welp, that was weird! HA! What? What is John talking about!? Super odd verse set if we don’t slow things down a bit and look at how John worded this. First, he uses the word, “brother.” So, we are talking about someone in the faith. Someone that knows the Lord, has accepted salvation through Jesus Christ, and yet is in some sort of sin. So, what are we, and this is a bit enlightening and also a bit convicting, when we see a brother in sin, what should we do? · Correct them! Call them out! Convince them using the Bible that what they are doing is sinful. John isn’t saying not to do those things but he is telling us what to do first. First, we should take it to the Lord. We should pray for that brother! God has sent us to correct, rebuke, exhort and teach and to go into the whole world and make disciples, teaching folks to observe the words of Jesus…, BUT, how much more amazing, effective, great if we see a brother in sin and GOD does the correcting! · PLUS, we have not the right heart to correct a brother until we’ve prayed for them! Do you know that!? I hope you do. If we do not love them, we should never correct, rebuke, exhort or teach them. We just simply aren’t qualified. This is straight from the throne room of heaven, are you ready for this. If we can’t learn to love them then we should learn to be quiet. And in that quiet…, pray. · This comment about life is a comment of the heart and essence of God. God Himself is the originator of life and in Him is life itself. And so, you pray for that brother and God abides in you…, and by the work of the Holy Spirit, that same life goes after that brother in sin. That is a promise here! I truly believe that I can drop the most incredibly awesome knowledge on someone and yet the Holy Spirit ministering directly to their heart for a mere second will be eternally more effective! · Now, that is sin not leading to death… John, (and there are many ideas about this, this is just mine), John says that if the sin is leading to death (and this is physical death – not spiritual death), then without delay, without hesitation, without a day a week a month of waiting on the Lord, realize that if someone is on the brink of destruction and you see that, YOU are God’s answer to prayer. Go after them… · Look at what Jude says and this really is revealing…, Jude 16 – 22, “These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” 1 John Chapter 5 Verses 18 – 19 · This is a positional statement that in Jesus Christ my sins are forgiven, forgotten, withdrawn from my account before God and therefore I stand before God sinless, just as Jesus is in heaven, because Jesus stood in my place on the cross, representing and in the place of mankind on earth… · And, whoever is born of God ultimately finds great difficulty, even impossibility, to continue on in habitual lifestyle sin. Why? Because the Spirit of God within convicts and corrects. If you can go on in some sort of offensive heart or lifestyle to the Holy Spirit then you’re either miserable or you’re just simply not born of God. · But he who has been born of God keeps himself, total personal radical accountability…, not waiting on God to deliver you…, God has already provided everything you need for every struggle you’ll ever face…, its up to me to walk by faith… In the light of truth, we aren’t really struggling, what we’re doing is delaying obedience…. · Keeping myself , walking by faith over feelings, understand there is a promise here, a truth of God’s word, that in that state, the enemy can’t touch me. As a Christian, understand, for the enemy to touch me at all that has to go through God…, because I am His. And if I am walking in the flesh, perhaps the best thing for me is to get a glimpse of hell to set me straight… · And the promise is that as I walk with the Lord, hey, the environment might stack against me, Satan is the swayer of the whole world, but he himself…, or better said, me, I’m off limits… Now the inverse of that reveals a truth. For those that are not God’s, unsaved, rejecting of God, there’s a hint here that there is essentially no protection upon them from the wicked one… 1 John Chapter 5 Verses 20 – 21 · Understanding comes from God. Understanding of the truth is not something to be achieved or attained, it is given only by and through relationship with Jesus by faith… And after a great revelation of who Jesus was and is, John gives us the simplest and most complete exhortation, “Be little, be simple, be humble, be grateful, be receivers…, little children, and keep yourselves from idols. Stick with only and close too the single Truth of and in Jesus Christ!”

1 John 5 vs 6-13

May 26, 2024 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • 1 John 5:6–13

1 John Chapter 5 Verse 6 · There are many ideas as to exactly what John is saying here however the why he is saying it is quite clear. The Gnostics of the time believed in a phantom Jesus, a spirit only Jesus, as we have discussed in the past and by making this statement John is being very clear that Jesus was not simply and only a spirit but He was also very man, flesh and blood. Now, what is John saying…? · Jesus coming by water can refer to His physical birth and/or His baptism. Jesus was born in the physical, and in doing so, essentially was stepping into His own creation and saying, “I am not just coming to be among you, I am stepping into being one of you.” When Jesus was baptized, He wasn’t doing that for His own sin, as He Himself had none. What He said to John when John protested Jesus coming to him to be baptized, we find in Matthew 3:13-15…. · “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.” In Jesus’ baptism, which many agree John is talking about here in 1 John 5, Jesus essentially was fully arriving, “He who came by water,” because just as in His physical birth, in His baptism this was Jesus putting on display for the world that He is one of us… (To be qualified to die for the sins of all men, Jesus must Himself be a Man…) · And John says that the Spirit bears witness which at the baptism of Jesus we read in Matthew 3:16, “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.” Testimony of the Spirit of God, the Spirit of truth… · That same Jesus, full revelation of who He is and what He came to do, also came by blood. There is no doubt this speaks of his death. When Jesus died, He didn’t do so because He had to (the wages of sin is death and death had no power over Him). He laid down His life willingly, why? To again, fully identify with sinful humanity AND to pay the debt of sin for all. · So, He was born of water at His birth, and submitted to water at His baptism to fully step into His qualification as fully Man, and He was then further proven as our representative, the qualified representative of all humanity, when He surrendered to death for the my sin and for yours. The Spirit bore witness then and He continues to do so today… 1 John Chapter 5 Verses 7 – 8 · These verses are interesting. In what is said, not too much to exegete. John calls to witness the truth of heaven and the truth of earth to fortify the truth of the Savior Jesus Christ. Got it. We move one… Interestingly, these verses actually have their own name/title. These are known as the Johannine Comma. What’s that mean? · These verses, in virtually all of the ancient textus receptus manuscripts, simply are not there except for one 11th century and one 12th century manuscript in which they are actually added to the margin by a reader. They mysteriously also appear in the Latin Vulgate which was a Latin translation of the Greek manuscripts attributed to Jerome and completed around 200AD. We get our New Testament (King James translations) from Erasmus’ word for word ancient Greek transcription and he purposefully left out these verses because they show up in the Latin Vulgate but not the Greek manuscripts… So here we are… Honestly, take them or leave them. They (in my opinion) add nothing that is not already found clearly in many other places in scripture… 1 John Chapter 5 Verses 9 – 13 · God the Father has testified, set a seal of authenticity, on Jesus Christ, God the Son. How? Well, first, explicitly. At the baptism of Jesus, we read in Matthew 3:16-17, “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” · Did you know that this is not the only time the Father speaks audibly from heaven with a crowd around testifying of Jesus Christ? Surrounded by people including His disciples in John 12 verses 20 – 30, “Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.” · There are proofs, a ton of other proofs, in the scriptures and in the history of the world, and in the history of many lives including my own that Jesus is Himself the Son of God. One of those is the myriad of impossible prophecies fulfilled in His birth, life, death and resurrection. Another is His works He did…, John 5:36, Jesus said, “But I have a greater witness than John’s, for the works which the Father has given Me to finish, the very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me…” · So, we have the testimony of the scriptures, the testimony of others such as John the Baptist, the testimony of the Father, Jesus says the Spirit testifies of the Son, the works testify of the Son and ultimately, the kicker, the straw that breaks the camel’s back, the resurrection bears witness of Jesus Christ being the promised Messiah, the Son of God, having in Himself eternal life! · So, the testimony of God is that He has given us, granted us, restored unto us and redeemed us unto eternal life by His Son Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. If we choose not to believe, not to accept what God has provided but rather to reject Jesus, we commit the unpardonable sin. You cannot have eternal life, as testified by yes, the Christian Bible, but also by Jesus Himself, fulfilled prophecy, the historical miraculous works He delivered, and as testified by the only man to bring forth life out of death…, being resurrected, all of that lays out with unavoidable undeniable testimony that you cannot have eternal life apart from the Son of God, Jesus Christ. · Now, it should be strongly emphasized that eternal life is FAR more, much more than quantity or simply duration of time but it is also and it is first a quality of life. Paul said that he rejoices in hope, loves and enjoys his everyday life, because although the outward man is dying, the inward man is being renewed day by day…, every day of eternal life once you receive Jesus Christ is a day you are growing stronger! Impossible any other way… · Solomon had everything this world had to offer and then some. He said in Ecclesiastes 2:10, “Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor.” And at the end of getting more than any other single person has ever had, he stated for all of history in Ecclesiastes 1:1-2, “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”” · Give him everything and he finds no life. And yet we have Paul and Silas in prison rejoicing with singing! We have everyone of the apostles embrace death rather than deny what Jesus had done for them and who He was. We have Paul himself who literally lost more than everything write an authoritative book on joy while in a Roman prison! (Philippians). · So, yea, chase whatever you’re chasing to make you whole, to satisfy your soul…, I guess Paul did it wrong…, in the midst of all your getting, get understanding, get Jesus and find and accept this eternal life that God has given through His Son!

1 John 4 vs 17-21

April 28, 2024 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • 1 John 4:17–21

1 John Chapter 4 Verse 17 · So as He is, so are we in the eyes of the Father. Completely true, isn’t it? That because of what Jesus has done for me, stood in my place and paid the price for my sin, I now stand in his place, I am now a son of God, made perfect in the eyes of God, forgiven of my sin. Entirely true. And I think that’s just great! As thankful as I am for that today, when I meet my Maker, I will be far more thankful!! And, that’s interestingly not what John said here. He said, so as He is, so are we (supposed to be) in this world. Check this out, I want to be like Jesus before the Father, but I don’t want to be like Jesus before my brother? I am a hypocrite! Doesn’t make sense…. Sort of a wake-up call! · This whole verse is an incredibly important verse! Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” For the one that has rejected Jesus Christ, that judgment is unto condemnation, that is the consequence, the outcome, of presenting sin to God when it is your time. It wasn’t dealt with, the sin, my debt of righteousness remains, and so there remains no other option but to repay the debt yourself… · For the one that has received the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the payment for their own debt of sin, there is a judgment that awaits that person as well however that is a judgment unto eternal rewards and eternal identity. Who you will be and what will be your role in the coming Kingdom of God. Your sin was dealt with 2,000 years ago, no sin to present in the presence of God… · We see this in John 5:24, 28-29, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” · So, for you, (this question for you has nothing to do with me, and this question for me has nothing to do with you), for you, when the day comes as it will come for all, Jesus accepters and Jesus rejecters alike, when the day comes for you to stand in judgment face to face with God, what will be your confidence? · John uses the word boldness. It means wide-openness. Complete voluntary and comfortable transparency. Free and fearless and full of assurance… You arrive at the moment where you are to be judged by God and you are like YESSSSS! I’ve been waiting for this!!!! · To be quite clear, that is the highest goal. Forget the money you made in life, the position you achieved, the successful business, the solid marriage, the faithful ministry, the fruitful investments…, this is the most important goal and its one that so few are living for… Isn’t that nutso!?!? · And oh my my my my MY! John, tell me, Lord show me, God teach me, what is it, what’s the strategy, what’s the vision, mission, goals, and values, what is the method, procedure, policy and program for having this greatest day of excitement, this most important day in all my existence, this boldness and confidence when I stand in my own eternal judgment? · Perfect attendance at church? Memorization of the Bible? Strict legalistic living in accordance with the Word of God? A life of serving in the church? Should I be sure to drink my Ovaltine!? HA! NO! Revelation! The mission, vision, strategy, values to achieve the highest goal… Its. All. Love… Agape. The one thing this world lacks the most, needs the most, understands the least! To love and to serve those that are living, doing, saying and thinking not how I want them to! Deploying care and light and love into the world, one way, because as He is, so are we in this world… · When you are loving and caring for someone who is living and doing and saying things you yourself would never say! In fact, what they are doing is horrific to you personally and yet you are willing to lay down your life for them…, your rights, your emotions, your own convictions, to love them…, at that moment you are more like Jesus than you could be in any other scenario! · And when I show up face to face with Jesus, we won’t first talk about all the things, we will talk about love. And honestly, I’m saying this for me and this has nothing to do with you, honestly, I cannot wait for that moment! I am SO excited for that moment! Emotions aside, affections aside, to love through being used or rejected or hated or misunderstood or taken for granted, I fortunately and unfortunately am well acquainted… And I will be more acquainted the more God allows me to live because I am living for that goal. · Not saying I’ve been perfect in this… Certainly haven’t. But this is between Him and I…, and God sees it all, and nothing is lost, He knows… And because He knows, I cannot wait for the day when the accounting is called due and I have what I have to offer Him! Boldness!!!!! · Jesus, you forgave my sin and so I approach you without fear… That’s the next verse…, AND the more I was able to learn agape, the more I applied it and it was horrible….! HA! But it was for You. And it was because of the horrible you endured for Me…. That’s how its going to go and I can’t wait for that moment!! How about you? 1 John Chapter 4 Verses 18 – 19 · Receiving and registering what has been done for you in Jesus Christ erases the fear of standing face to face with God the Father. In other places in scripture, we are told to fear God but that is an entirely different fear. That is reverence, respect, dignification toward God that He is God and I am not! And we know that because John describes this fear in 1 John 4 as involving torment. This is fear that invites and incites hopelessness… · So, because of what Jesus has done, accepting that, understanding that, grasping that, I know that I am going to stand in front of God justified by the blood of Jesus. Just as if I’d never sinned… AND, this is also a present fear of understanding that God loves me…, so I can rest in hope about tomorrow, even when the season is rough. · Check this out, God corrects, chastens, disciplines those that are His children. And that discipline isn’t pleasant (you’ll find all of this in the book of Hebrews), but knowing that His love for me is perfect, fear fails… God, I trust you because You love me! And His integrity and promises comfort me… · And the completing, John uses the word perfecting, of that love in us, this boldness in us is when we do stop and realize that we love the Lord for all that He is and all that He is done and what He has done for us and yet there’s an epiphany that rolls in…, the only reason I even love Him is because He initiated it all… What manner of amazing grace, stunning love is this!? And a settling takes place… Because God’s love for me predates my faithfulness, my obedience, my religion! 1 John Chapter 4 Verses 20 – 21 · It certainly isn’t what we say, is it? Its what I do that expresses the reality of my experience. In Luke 18 the rich young ruler (everything going for him) came to Jesus and yet he went away sorrowful and he himself was lacking in his heart of hearts, why? Because it came down to he didn’t love others… Or maybe that’s not fair, maybe he did love others, he just loved what he had more… · And so, this thing about love isn’t just a commandment for religious purposes…, to please and appease God…, all of the commandments of God (of which this one is primary) is truly to set us free, to complete us and to prepare us for the most important day in all of our lives…, when we pass from this very very very temporary very difficult very unfair very fallen ridiculous version of reality into life that is eternally what it will be…