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Confident in Love

Have I told you that I love John? The apostle John. Author John. To some he may seem flowery and repetitive. To me, his words continue to open doors I didn't know were closed :) I'm attempting to memorize 1 John. In weird order, I have done the first chapter and now I'm almost done with the 4th. And learning this book, verse by verse is amazing. When I read normally, I take a chapter (or even Book) at a time and I don't look at the small things.

Today I memorized one verse that moved something I thought was heart knowledge into ACTUAL heart knowledge!!

1 John 4:17: In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement, because in this world we are like him.

But now I feel foolish with all this talk of one verse, because you need context there! Let's bring in verses 15-16: "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him."

Can I break that down? If you confess that Jesus is who He says He is, God lives in you, and you in God. Let's pile on top of that. God is love. If you live in love; God lives in you and you in God! You need to confess Jesus is the Son of God and you need to live in love. Doing both of those things gives us confidence on the day of judgement because in this world we are like Him. And how are we like him? Because we love. And so God lives in us and we in Him. It's like this amazing crazy circle that my sister would so appreciate!! 

My whole life I have believed I was a Christian (even when I wasn't). And up until this morning I would have told you I was going to heaven (even though I didn't really get why, which seems crazy to admit, but it is the truth). Yet after learning that one verse 12 hours ago, I am now CONFIDENT on the day of judgement because I am like Him. I mean...a very poor version of Him because I struggle every day with sin and He never did - BUT, I confess Jesus is the Son of God and I am doing my darndest to live in love. Both of those things are putting God in me and me in Him. And he is love. Here's that circle again!!

Today I see so many things trying to get us to NOT love each other. Political parties have us divided. Social Media posts make that division so noticeable I am at a loss. I'm at a loss because I know the people I love have been taught how to love. The Jesus I declare WAS love. He loved. He taught others to do the same. Love first. Then behavior changes because you do so out of a desire that stems from that love. And that love comes about because He lives IN US.

The only way I know how to be like Jesus in this world is to love. The extra lovable. The extra unlovable. And everyone in-between. That's it. It's seems so simple. And perhaps I have it wrong and it really is crazy complicated. But if I have it right, can you join me on this train of simplicity? Confess Jesus is the Son of God. Live in love. Be confident and stand on the day of judgment because in this world you are LIKE HIM. And He is Love. Capital L.


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