The Lie
In modern thought, so many professing Christians consider their salvation a sealed deal because of their affiliations. First, the affiliation with an action such as membership, prayer of salvation, walking an isle etc, enables some “professors” to be comfortable with the reality that their souls are safe and thus, the need to look further into things of grace and salvation are not needed. This is a lie and it breeds from the desires of the flesh of a fallen humanity and is perpetrated by Satan, the enemy of God who seeks to devour the church and the gospel. (Which will not happen.) This lie establishes an ignorantly blissful aversion to spiritual matters, growth, worship and most of all, the fruit of God’s everlasting grace in those who indeed trust in Christ. IN other words, many people who think they are saved prove otherwise because they do not love each other.
“By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in himought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” (1 John 2:5-6, ESV)Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is nocause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. (1 John 2:9-11, ESV)
So, the lie is that people are thinking they are in Christ when indeed, they have no love for their brothers and then, they do not walk as Christ walked who laid down His life for this brothers as the ultimate act and expression of true divine love. The outcome of this lie stands in two pots. First, the pot that some feel that they are loving in their heart and that is enough and secondly, the other pot that grows out of a false understanding of love in the first place.
The Truth
The truth is the Love does not in ANY WAY define God. It is rather God who defines love.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (1 John 3:1, ESV)
By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:10, ESV)
So as 1 John 4:8 states, …God is love…, then the reality of love is bound up on the person and character of God, not the other way around. So, those who claim Christ but love not the way God is love… are they in Christ at all? No they are not according to scripture.
The Way
Now the question comes is that, “how can one love like God loves?” God’s word is clear on the power behind the love of God in those who belong to Him.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us andhis love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:7-12, ESV)
So those who do not love in a dying and sacrificial way are not of God and are by nature children of wrath prepared for destruction.
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, andwhoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:13-21, ESV)
The power of God through Christ Jesus is given to His children in order that they abide in Him, in His love, in His commands, in fellowship with His people and in continual sacrifice and obedience to the every command. No Christian is perfect, just being perfected. Those who do not love have fear. Fear of judgment by God. Those who do not fear but should are blinded by the god of the world so they cannot believe (2 Cor 4) and those who are in Christ do not fear because they see and savor the glorious love of God in Christ Jesus as their only hope.
The Glory
What difference does this make? Well, for the sake of God’s glorious name, when the people of God love like God loves it denies the very nature of culture, religion and depravity that so easily walks without shame in the world. The manifold wisdom of God is shown, not only to the world, but to the enemy of God! God is serious about His glory and has killed His own Son in order to bring His children into right standing with Him. How much more do you think the one who hates the children of God will suffer because they have rejected the very ones that Jesus purchased with His blood?
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that wekeep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify:8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:1-12, ESV)
So in the end, only those who are in Christ prove themselves to be in Christ by their love for the Son of God, the Father and the people whom Jesus has redeemed. The one who denies these things actually denies the very nature of God who defines love and he along with all like him will face the wrath of calling God a liar. God says that His commandments are not burdensome for His people because of His love toward us which empowers us to live unto sanctification. If one rejects Jesus as the one who creates a people of this nature, then they are awaiting no love from God, but only wrath.
Come today to the precious love of God in Christ Jesus. Repent and believe the gospel. You who are in Christ, continue in the faith, contend for the faith and in the power of Christ, love one another to the praise of His glorious grace!
James