1 John 4:17 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. 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. 19: We love him, because he first loved us. 20: 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? 21: And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Introduction

The apostle begins this section with these words in verse 17, “Herein is our love made perfect”. What is this? What is “love made perfect”? Actually, this verse takes us back to verse 12 where we read, “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” Here John uses the phrase “his love is perfected in us”. What John is saying is that when we believers love one another, God’s love is perfected in us. He is describing that that’s what happens when believers love one another. Now let’s read the opening words of verse 17 again, “Herein is our love made perfect”. This refers to what he just wrote in verse 16, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” Love is made perfect in us when we abide in love. In other words, when we abide in love, God’s love is brought to completion in us. When we dwell in love, God’s love is accomplished in us. It has reached its goal and purpose.

Bible commentator Kenneth S. Wuest explains this way, “If saints have this agape love habitually for one another, that shows that this love which God is in His nature, has accomplished its purpose in their lives. It has made us loving and self-sacrificial in our characters. This love has been brought to its human fulness in the lives of the saints (believers).”

John Stott also explains, “The whole paragraph is concerned with God’s love, and we must not stagger at the majesty of this conclusion. God’s love, which originates in Himself (1Jn 4:7–8) and was manifested in His Son (1Jn 4:9–10), is made complete in His people (1Jn 4:12). It is ‘brought to perfection within us’. God’s love for us is perfected only when it is reproduced in us or ‘among us’ in the Christian fellowship. It is these three truths about the love of God which John uses as inducements to brotherly love. We are to love each other, first because God is love (1Jn 4:8–9), secondly because God loved us (1Jn 4:10–11), and thirdly because, if we do love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us (1Jn 4:12).”

The love which originates from God, the love that He has for us, is made perfect in our love for others, which is what God wants and what believers are commanded to do. Understand that John here is not saying that our love for God or our love for one another is going to be perfect in this life. But rather, as we grow spiritually mature, our love is also developing and maturing and being made complete. We experience the love of God the moment we are saved, but as we grow in Him, our love matures; it is made perfect. This is something that God is working out in our lives as His children.

Now possessing and experiencing and developing the love of God has a positive impact on our lives. When we see evidence of love being perfected in us, it leads at least to three things, namely, it Creates Confidence, it Cast Out Fear, and it Conquers Hatred.

I – It Creates (Builds) Confidence

1 John 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment ....

One of the results of God’s love being perfected in the lives of His children is “boldness in the day of judgment.” The result of this perfected love is that we will have confidence in the day of judgment. To appreciate this truth of having boldness or confidence, understand that there is coming Judgment Day. The apostle Paul declares this in Hebrews 9:27-28, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Jesus Christ is coming back again and when He comes, this time He will come not as a Saviour dying for sin but as a mighty and righteous Judge to judge the world. There is a judgment coming for all men. All men, one day, will stand before the Lord their Maker. It does not make any difference whether you are a Christian or a non-Christian. A Christian’s relationship with God may be different but all men must come face-to-face with the Lord Himself. There is a reckoning and this is what the Apostle Paul told the Athenian philosophers on Mars Hill “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31)

God has set a day when He will judge the world in righteousness and with justice. There are people and even professing Christians who think that believers will not be judged. They have this idea that believers will not stand in judgment. But listen to what the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” We will all stand in judgement, the Christians before the Judgment Seat of Christ, while the unbelievers will appear before the Great White Throne Judgment Seat and be cast into the Lake of Fire. 

1 Corinthians 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14: If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15: If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

We will all stand before God for judgment, giving an account, and being recompensed for what we have done. For the unbelievers the question that will be asked is, “What did you do with God’s Son, Jesus Christ?” But, for true Christians the question that will be asked will be “What have you done for God’s Son and how faithful have you been to Him?” 

Now, knowing your heart and knowing my own heart, how could we ever face God with boldness in the Day of Judgement? Knowing the things that I have done, the places that I have been, the sins that I have committed, the unkind words that I have spoken, the bad thoughts that I have entertained, how could I ever stand with confidence before Almighty God? Listen to the apostle John’s answer in the last part of verse 17, because as he is, so are we in this world. We can have boldness and confidence in the Day of Judgment because we have been redeemed by the power and the blood of Jesus Christ. And the evidence is because in this world as we abide in God and His love, “his love is perfected in us” and also “as he is, so are we in this world”. In other words, when we dwell in love exhibiting love for one another, we are showing our conformity to the character of Jesus Christ. But understand that we have confidence not because our love has attained sinless perfect love but because His love is being made perfect in us, that is, God’s love is being reproduced and accomplished in us. This is good evidence that we belong to God, and He is at work in our lives.

Warren Wiersbe writes, “The fact that Christians love one another is evidence of their fellowship with God and their sonship from God, and it is also evidence that they know God. Their experience with God is not simply a once-for-all crisis; it is a daily experience of getting to know Him better and better. True theology (the study of God) is not a dry, impractical course in doctrine—it is an exciting day-by-day experience that makes us Christlike!… Positionally, we are right now “as He is.” We are so closely identified with Christ, as members of His body, that our position in this world is like His exalted position in heaven. This means that the Father deals with us as He deals with His own beloved Son. How, then, can we ever be afraid?”

II – It Casts Out Fear

1 John 4:8: 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.

One of the results of God’s love being perfected in the lives of His children is that it casts out fear. Fear and love are incompatible. When love comes, fear goes. It is like light and darkness. Light and darkness cannot co-exist, for the light dispels darkness. And so is love. Perfect love expels fear. And what is this fear that love expels? There are basically two kinds of fear, namely the fear of dread and terror and the fear of awe and reverence. The fear of dread is relation to God is the kind of fear where I am afraid of what God might do to me. It is the kind of fear that I am afraid of being caught or being punished. This is the kind of fear that makes us afraid of God and run from God. The other fear which is the fear of awe and reverence is the kind of fear where I am afraid of what I might do to God. It’s the kind of fear where I am afraid of displeasing and dishonoring God. The fear of awe and reverence is not the kind of fear that I am afraid of being caught or being punished but the fear of displeasing and grieving God.

O may our love grow more and more

As we get close to God

So that we fear displeasing Him

More than we fear His rod.

—Sper

Now which kind of fear do you think perfect love expels? Obviously, the fear of dread; the fear of what might God do to us in the Day of Judgment. Perfect love drives away fear, the fear of judgment and punishment. And the fear that perfect love drives out is the fear of what God might do to us. But Christians do not need to fear the coming judgment. Those who belong to Christ do not fear His coming or standing before Him in judgment, if they have been exercising “agape” love on this earth. God doesn’t want us to live in fear, “because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

But understand that perfect love not only accomplishes something for the future but for now. It casts out fear now! We live in a fearful generation, don’t we? There are many people, even some professing Christians, who live in constant fear. They have such nervousness that they do not want to go outside their house, or drive a car, or be alone, or be in a dark room, or be a failure in life. Fear cripples them. It torments them. Anxieties, tensions, worries, self-doubt, worthlessness – all these things are forms of fear, and they literally limit us and imprison us. As someone has said, “Fear binds us and pushes us into a corner so that we cannot live the kind of life that God intended for us to live. Only love can bring security to life.”

God’s love conquers all our fears and worries. The love of God is a powerful force. It enables us to cast away fear. Where fear exists, love is lacking. You and I cannot enjoy peace and rest while living in fear. Fear creates anxiety, doubt, panic, and worry. These are signs of weakness in mature love. Only love can bring a person a sense of security. Dwelling in love brings one great assurance and certainty. 

Now, it is important to keep in mind this is not about salvation but about assurance and having confidence and without fear in the Day of Judgment and in this present life. If you are afraid and insecure, it does not necessarily mean that you are not saved but it could be that you are not nourishing your love for God and love for others. If you fear God, then you do not understand God’s great love for you, or possibly you do not love the brethren as you ought. If this is your case, Ron Daniel exhorts, “Let God’s love in you flow out to your brothers and sisters in Christ. Make it your purpose to demonstrate that love, and you will find that you begin to think of judgment day with confidence rather than fear.”

III – It Conquers Hatred

1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20: 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? 21: And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

God’s love being perfected in the lives of His children not only creates or builds confidence, and cast out fear, but also conquers hatred. The perfect love that drives out fear, drives out hatred also. The love that gives us confidence in the day of judgment and casts out fear is proven and demonstrated by our love for one another.

“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar.” John describes the one who claims to love God, but fail to show love to the brethren, proves that his claim is false. John here is calling us believers to have our life match our lips, to have our practice match our profession. If a person professes faith in Christ but hates his brother, then according to the apostle of love, that person doesn’t really love God either. 

Now, ‘hate” is a strong word. It means to dislike strongly, to have a strong aversion to or to detest. John used this word “hateth” four times in this letter.

1 John 2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

1 John 2:11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

1 John 4:20: 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?

All four uses of the word “hateth” is in the present tense which signifies this hatred is habitual. It describes a lifestyle of hatred. It means that hatred is one’s continual attitude in life. John is not referring to occasional anger in which one might be annoyed or upset with another person. There will be times we may get upset or angry toward others, but we cannot hate others and love God. If genuine love exists, a fixed and settled “unwillingness to change” attitude of hatred cannot exist. And the person who practices a lifestyle of hatred, according to the verses we just read, is still in darkness, walks in darkness, a murderer, does not possess eternal life, and a liar. Every claim to love God is a delusion if it is not accompanied by unselfish and practical love for our brothers and sisters

1 John 4:20b ... for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

What is John’s point here? John Stott notes that “It is obviously easier to love and serve a visible human being than an invisible God, and if we fail in the easier task, it is absurd to claim success in the harder.” In other words, if we fail to love our brother we can see, how can we claim to love God we cannot see which is even much harder to do. If we refuse to love the brethren we can see, we cannot claim to love the God we cannot see! Love of God is shown to be real by love for our brethren.

1 John 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Then John closes this chapter with a reminder that loving one another is a command not a suggestion. It is a command coming directly from our Lord Jesus Christ. It is also a command that is revealing for everyone. Those who truly love God, also loves his brethren.

Closing Thoughts

Let me close by going back to 1 John 4:19, “We love him, because he first loved us.” We love Him and we love our brethren, because God first loved us. Here the apostle John reminds us that God is the source of all love. He does this so that we would not think that we can love on our own. The love that gives confidence on the day of judgement, the love that casts out fear, and the love that conquers hatred is a love whose source is God and Who so loved us. Our capacity to love is because of God’s love for us and in us. It’s all because of God’s grace and love. You can and must love because you have been loved by God in Christ. You can and must forgive because God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you. Brothers and sisters in Christ, “be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” (Eph 4:32)

Let me speak now to those who have not known the love of God experientially. Do you long for a perfect love that loves you unconditionally? There is only one place to find it. It is found at the cross of Calvary because it was there that He laid down His life for you.

He left the Splendor of Heaven

Knowing His destiny

Was the lonely hill of Golgotha

There to lay down His life for me.

So, go to God through His Son Jesus Christ. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” (Acts 16:31) Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and put your trust in Him alone for your salvation and He will forgive your sins, give you eternal life, and give you a new heart that will have the new capacity to produce agape love.    The kind of love that will build confidence in the day of a Judgment, cast out fear, and conquer hatred!

AMEN!