1 John 4:17 --- In this [union and fellowship with Him], love is completed and perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him]; because as He is, so are we in this world.
This is a rare Saturday that I didn't have anyone set to meet up with. Saturday mornings are dedicated to meeting up one on one with my brothers in Christ. I turned off my 4:30 AM alarm and was shocked to open my eyes to sunlight coming in the window and my watch showing 8:00 AM! If my life were in a videogame, I would've most definitely seen: "You awaken feeling Well Rested" on the screen.
Sleeping and joking aside, after talking with the Lord and praying this morning I opened the Word to a deep and complex verse. I talked with the Lord on it and dove into the Greek behind it. There are so many things that can be unpacked here but the Lord really highlighted one thing main thing I'll get to.
This verse flows directly from the one before, that whoever abides in love, abides in God and God abides in them. So, we see all that abiding brings us to a place where that agape love (selfless/sacrificial) is completed. We don't have it on our own but when we're abiding in Him, He is that love, so it is complete now in Him!
Here is the part that was highlighted to me, "so that we may have CONFIDENCE in the day of judgement". Many bible translations use the word "boldness" here, but this isn't referring to some arrogant, holier than thou, type of attitude.
The word used in the Greek is parrēsia and it means: free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, assurance.
Free and fearless confidence!
Cheerful courage!
How amazing the Word of God is! In this verse's short statement, "we may have confidence/boldness in the day of judgment", when the real meaning behind one word is revealed, it goes from an easily skimmed over thing to a bright burning statement filled with power!
How many Christians do you know walking around full of FREE and FEARLESS CONFIDENCE and CHEERFUL COURAGE in anything, let alone the day of judgment?
The thing about this powerful free, fearless, cheerful confidence and courage……it doesn't exist apart from abiding in Him. Abiding in Him doesn't exist apart from walking in regular relationship with the Lord in prayer and His Word. Go back and read all of 1 John chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4 up to this verse, then you will see exactly what it takes, or what it costs to have this type of confidence.
If you are not walking in relationship with the Lord, that is in prayer and in His Word regularly. Not just showing up for church on Sun and Wed. Not just reading a daily devotional on your phone for 5 minutes to get the bible app star streak for 3 days in a row. This is genuinely making God a priority and seeking Him in your daily life, making Him number one. For the true genuine follower of Christ Jesus there must be priority given to His Word and prayer. If not, then 1 John clearly spells out some harsh truths about being deceived.
We cannot forsake reading His Word and prayer and think we'll know His voice among the billion other voices assaulting us from the world, our flesh, and the enemy. You cannot truly have a relationship with someone you don't have enough time for, do not talk with or listen to. We're so confident that going to church on Sun and doing good deeds is enough, that we slumber away, in a comfy little rocket ship, blazing down the broad road.
There is much we cannot control in this world, even in our own lives, but we can choose to make Him a priority. We can choose to pray and talk with Him every day, no matter what is going on. We also live in a country where we can choose to read His Word openly in print, online, in audio form. So, the excuses that sound so fitting to us right now in our busy, over entertained, over worked, over self-served, lives are not going to stand up very well when we get face to face with God.
I don't know about you, but I want to be face to face with God and overflowing with FREE and FEARLESS CONFIDENCE, CHEERULLY filled with COURAGE, knowing that I KNOW Jesus Christ and that my name is written in the Lambs book of Life!
I said a lot. There is much to ponder. I'm just a man sharing my adventure with the Lord and where it goes. Be the Berean, get into your Bible. Talk with Him first, ask Him to speak to you in His Word. Seek Him there, seek to know Him and learn His voice!
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