"No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us."
1 John 4:12
Part 2
Yesterday:
“No man hath seen God at any time.”
Today:
“If we love one another,”
“If we keep on loving one another,”1 (Robertson). This is the Lord’s expectation for us. We continue loving each other, our brothers and sisters in Christ. This genuine “love” is expressed as a present tense verb, the action of our love continues on and on…
“Charity [agape love] never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away,” (1 Corinthians 13:8).
“God dwelleth in us,”
The proof that we have God living in us, that we are truly born-again, isn’t our profession, or even how much Bible we know (although both of these are vital for growth in God’s child), but the proof is in this enduring, sacrificial kind of love we are to have for each other in Christ. This kind of love is to be the norm for believers.
“This is my commandment, That ye love [agapao] one another, as I have loved [agapao] you,” (John 15:12).
“And we have known and believed the love [agape] that God hath to us. God is love [agape]; and he that dwelleth in love [agape] dwelleth in God, and God in him,” (1 John 4:16).
“And his love is perfected in us.”
What a beautiful thought, He perfects His love in us. God is working in His children to “mature” or “complete” this love in us. It is comforting to know that He is working in us. If we were trying to “complete” or “mature” ourselves, inevitably, we would get it wrong. But after salvation, He is in us and working to mature our love. I think of my parents when I think of love maturing. They have been married for more than six decades. Their love for each other has grown over the years. The love they had for each other at their wedding was immature when compared to what God has done in them through all their years together. God is completing, maturing, and perfecting of love in us.
“But whoso keepeth his word [God’s Word], in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him,” (1 John 2:5).
“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,” (1 John 4:17).
He is working in us to perfect His love in us. The next time you are tempted to let your fears get the best of you remember this…
“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,” (1 John 4:18).
Is your love maturing? God’s kind of love in us throws out fear! Believers keep on growing in love.
1. Robertson, ibid. This is a third-class condition. If the condition is met the statement is being done. If we love one another it shows that God dwells in us.