Perfect Love

1 John 4:7-21

Which came first? The chicken or the egg? This has been one of life’s most asked and debated questions. I personally believe that the chicken came first because in the beginning God didn’t make eggs, but birds! But it is not worth fighting over. One thing I do know is who loved who first. God loved us first!

Love is not God. Some modern day spiritualist would have you to believe this. From New Age to Hinduism, believers of these religions teach that we all have the capacity to love naturally, but according to the scriptures love comes from God. God is love, love is not God.

It is in our nature to want to be loved, but not to give love. Our selfish fallen nature wants to be loved and adored, but yet in that same fallen nature we want to pick and choose what or who we love based on our specifications and standards. In other words we say if you love me and do what I want then I will love you. But that’s not godly love. Godly love is

· Loving without condition

· Living something or someone one for what or who they are and not what they do

Our text tell us that “we love God because he loved us first.” Romans 5:8 says that “God commended his love towards us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly.” In order for us to be capable of loving in a godly way we must first have a godly heart. This heart comes from the new birth in which God changes our heart and nature.

The golden text of the Bible is “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 It is through God’s love for us that he saved us and changed us, making us capable of extended that love that flow from him unto others.

Jesus teaches us as his disciples to “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:34-3 Some people are easy to love simply because they are lovable. It’s the ones that are unlovable, like our enemies, that is the challenge.

G K Chesterton said “There is the great lesson of 'Beauty and the Beast,' that a thing must be loved before it is lovable.” Not everybody is lovable, but yet we have to remember that at one time you and I were not lovable either. But yet God loved us anyway! He loved and still loves us today for not what we do or don’t do, but for who we are. That’s why John said “God’s love is perfected (complete) in us.”

I want to challenge you to love like God. Jesus gave this same challenge in his sermon on the Mount. He said “Be ye perfect (complete) even as your father in heaven is perfect.” When God’s love is perfected in us, then we will need not fear for “Perfect love cast out fear!”

Also read and meditate on Matthew 5:43-48

Pastor Robby