The Love of God Perfected

"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."

I John 2:4-6 

 If you've read this far into the first letter from John you see that he places a strong importance on being clear about who belongs to Jesus and who does not. Early in the first chapter he made clear distinctions that there are two categories of people, not Jews and Gentiles, but those in the light and those in darkness. He then showed us that there is one advocate for those in the light, and He is Jesus Christ the only righteous. He is the only way to walk in the light of God. So how does one walk in the light and have fellowship with God? By keeping His commandments, even the commandments of Jesus who is God in the flesh. So to be perfectly clear John says likewise that if you do not obey the commands of Jesus you are in darkness. Even if you claim to obey Jesus with your words but your actions show that you do not. You are a liar if that's the case and in darkness.

But who can obey Jesus, that the love of God is perfected in them? This is not an obedience to perform some ceremonious task that we may be justified before God. That is heresy. Jesus does all of the atoning work of salvation, even clothing His righteousness upon us in the form of faith. God's love cannot be perfected in the unrighteous because they are without Jesus. So the perfection of love is not a question of salvation because it can only belong to those who are covered by the blood of Christ to make them more like Christ.

God's love is perfected in us because the obedience is not in word only but confirmed by our actions. In his letter, James says that faith without works is dead. This means that if faith is genuinely provided by God it will bring about actions that prove the faith exists whereby it cannot be denied that faith in Jesus is present and perfected (James 2:22). Consider it as well in the matter of love. Love is perfected not when we only say we love God, but when we obey the commands of Jesus because that obedience is proof of His love. It cannot then be denied that the perfect love of God is present in us.

So what ought we to do? If we say that we love Jesus we must love His commands! Sometimes we don't understand Him. Many times we understand all too well and it hurts that we must repent of some things to be right with God, but we must repent when He reveals these sins. It is when our everyday actions show the world that we trust, obey, and follow Jesus Christ that the love of the almighty God is perfected in us. Examine yourselves to see if your actions leave doubt of God's love. If you find that they do, please repent and obey that His love may be perfected in you through Christ.

Consider also: James 2:17-26; John 15:1-17; Romans 8:34-39; Ephesians 3:17-19