Title: Love and Boldness
(Lecture 44) 1 John 4:17 Love and Boldness
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In this way love is perfected for us, that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, just as He is, so are we in the world (1 John 4:17).
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The God that can be known and seen by seeing Jesus on the cross is ‘love’. In other words, the only field where believers can see God's love is on the cross where the only begotten Son died. But foolish people find love in their circumstances and circumstances. So you can't find it and you can't see it. You should know that it is only the teachings of false prophets that God's love appears in good circumstances and improved circumstances.
If you believe in Christ, you must set your heart only on the truth. The truth only draws you to Jesus, and it does not give you futile hope for the world. It is just another gospel preached by a false apostle.
God's love is not evidenced by comfortable circumstances. Weren't the apostles living in God's love? But what was their life like? Was it an easy life? Did it end with success and success? Rather, you know well that it was a series of hardships. But how can we, in the name of love, seek my own benefit and claim success and advancement? Therefore, if you speak of love by setting up something other than the cross of Jesus, all of them would be considered false prophets.
No matter how poor a believer lives in the world, regardless of it, by believing in Jesus, he abides in God's love. So love is fair. Knowing this kind of love, bowing your head to some people and treating others with ignorance based on the existence of the world as a standard disappears.
What are people so worried about about Judgment Day? Do you have no worries about Judgment Day? Based on my experience in the past, I think it may be the anxiety about salvation. I often fall into doubts, “Can I really be saved?” Why? It is because they look into their own deeds. Looking at the part of his religious practices and practices, it is impossible to admit that he is a person of faith. Therefore, there is concern, but if you follow the apostle's words, such thoughts are only a departure from God's love.
It is the gift that the cross of Jesus brought to me that the believer must look and believe until the last moment. Jesus died because of our sins. The penalty for sin is death, and Jesus paid for it all.
The penalty for sin is definitely death. And that was exactly what you and I had to do. But Jesus paid for it all. That is the gift of Jesus to us. Believers can rejoice and be grateful for this gift. in any circumstance.
In this way, those who believe in Jesus who died on the cross are under the forgiveness of Jesus. Therefore, even on the Day of Judgment, we will stand before God as an existence that has nothing to do with death. Therefore, the meaning of faith is ‘I am only a mortal sinner. Therefore, we only look to the forgiving grace of Jesus.”
To abide in God's love means to be under the forgiveness of Jesus. He is thankful for the merits of the blood of Jesus, which covers all his own because he is under forgiveness. It is not looking at your own deeds, but looking at the Lord's forgiveness. Therefore, he who knows the love of God can have boldness on the day of judgment.
In this way, some people use it when talking about love and forgiveness. In other words, under God's love and forgiveness, I will be saved no matter what sins I commit. But what is clear is that the believer who knows love and knows forgiveness does not use love and forgiveness for their own convenience. In other words, they do not live according to their will under the pretext of love and forgiveness.
Ladies and gentlemen, a believer means someone who lives in the love of God. Because we are in love, we are governed by love and live. The apostle testifies that the evidence of being governed by love is shown by brotherly love. The principle of love given to oneself in the face of death is passed on to the brothers. What is that? You will meet your brother as someone who should be forgiven.
Do you know that you are the one who needs to be forgiven? If that knowledge is sincere, you will realize in your heart that I am not worthy to judge and measure your brother. Therefore, I was saying that to testify, communicate, and share the forgiveness of Jesus is to love our brothers. Love is far from human intimacy or kindness. May we learn this love from Christ.
Do you remember Cain's story I told you earlier? Cain shows a typical non-believer who has religious forms and rituals, but does not remain in the love of God. When God only accepted Abel's sacrifice, he did not realize that his sacrifice was not worthy of being accepted by God. This was Cain's fault. Cain was just angry with 'Why don't you accept only mine?' Such anger comes from those who do not have the rule of God's love. Love is ‘God, am I not worthy of even living like this? But do you grant this grace? Because it is evidenced by the confession of 'thank you'.
Do you know God's love? Do you go further and live in love? Salvation is knowing the love of God. And because of love, we have boldness on the Day of Judgment.
Believers who are governed by love live from the Lord's point of view, not ours, as the saying goes, "As the Lord is, so are we in the world." It's knowing that I can't stand my ground in any case.
If you are in love, you just need to be grateful and rejoice in love. To think that we should repay the love we have received is nothing more than contempt for the shedding of Jesus' blood. So, faith is both easy and difficult. This is because people become anxious about themselves without deeds. He who knows love is truly a happy man. Because in love we live boldly without lack.