For a long time, I’ve seen the importance of developing our faith in order to live victoriously over the circumstances of life. Let’s examine what is perhaps the major key in building a strong, unwavering faith—LOVE.
Love is to faith, what air is to a tire. You can go out and buy four brand new tires and put them on your car, but without air in them, they are not going to take you anywhere. There is nothing wrong with the tires, but without air, they can’t carry the load. Air is the force that makes the tires work and function to their fullest capacity.
Faith Works By Love
In Galatians 5:6, the apostle Paul writes, …but faith which worketh by love. Love is the spiritual force that makes faith work in the same way that air is the physical force that makes a tire work. In our text scripture John said that whoever keeps God’s Word, the love of God is perfected in him.
The word “perfected” does not mean “without mistakes”. It means “ripe, mature, complete, allowed fully developed. John goes on to say, There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear, (I John 4:18a). In other words, fully developed love forces out fear. Why? Because he goes on to say that fear has torment and because God loves you, He does not want you living in torment.
No Reason To Fear
When God’s love for you is fully developed, there is no reason to fear. Because He loves you, He is going to get you out of this mess. Faith is free to flow unhindered because there is no fear involved. Fear and love don’t mix, so neither fear and faith mix. When you have symptoms of fear, it is an indication that you have a love deficiency. He that feareth is not made perfect (fully developed) in love, (I John 4:18b). When there is fear, there is doubt about whether God really loves you and whether He will deliver you, provide for you and protect you.
When fear is present, next comes doubt and unbelief. Satan cannot hurt you apart from fear, anymore that God can bless you apart from faith. Love has no reason to fear because love knows God will establish His covenant with the heirs of promise who believe.
Fail-Safe
One word to describe the ministry of Jesus would be—FEARLESS. He knew how much His Father loved him. He had no fear of man, demons or failure. In John 15:10 Jesus said, If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
Satan cannot hurt you apart from fear, anymore than God can bless you apart from faith.
Jesus kept his Father’s commandments (Word). That is in agreement with our text, I John 2:5, But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected (fully developed).
Can you imagine Jesus walking up to the tomb of Lazarus with all of the people looking on and thinking, “what’s going to happen to me if I say, Lazarus come forth, and he doesn’t come forth?” Never. (But Martha was thinking it when Jesus said, “roll the stone away”.) Or would He have thought, “what if I speak to the fig tree,
and it doesn’t wither?” “What will people think about me?” Never. Someone might say, “yes, but that was Jesus”. II Timothy 1:7 says, For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and a sound mind.”
What is a sound mind? A peaceful mind. A mind free from cares, worry and fear… the mind of Christ.
This also reiterates that love and fear do not mix. A sound mind is not a fear-filled mind. This is in agreement with what John said in I John 4:18, There is no fear in love; but perfect(ed) love casteth out fear. What is a sound mind? A peaceful mind. A mind free from cares, worry and fear… THE MIND OF CHRIST. Jesus was fully developed in the love of God. He had no fear and He knew satan could not touch Him. …for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me, (John 14:30). Again, this agrees with I John 5:18,We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:5, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus… The mind of Christ is a sound mind and it thinks, “God loves me and He is not going to let me fail”.
Perfect Peace
Isaiah 26:3 says, Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind (thought, imagination) is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. There is the word “perfect” again. Notice how it keeps coming up. Perfect love…perfect peace. Isn’t it wonderful how all of these scriptures harmonize and agree?
Anxious For Nothing…Casting Your Care
PEACE IS THE SIGN OF A PROSPEROUS SOUL. Anxious for nothing, casting your care over on the Lord, standing on the Word. What is this person thinking about? “How much my Father loves me”. When we have the love of God fully developed (perfected) in us, we trust God and the result is peace.
Love knows the covenant-keeping God does not fail. Love knows the Word of God will bring success and never failure
In John 17:23 Jesus said, …I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect (there is the word again) in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and HAST LOVED THEM, AS THOU HAST LOVED ME. These words are written in red. Red words always win. Jesus said, “My father loves you just as much as he loves me”. “He loves you with the same love that he loves me with”. Jesus knew how much His Father loved him, would take care of Him and would not let him fail.
He prayed that we would be one with Him and the Father and that we would know that the Father loves us just as much as He loves Jesus. Do you believe Jesus got His prayers answered? That means that whatever God would do for Jesus—he will do for us.
Have you ever wondered how Jesus and others in the Bible could be so bold? Boldness is the result of knowing. You cannot be bold when you are wishy-washy about something. Besides Jesus, think about David, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Paul. They knew God loved them and would take care of them, and it forced out fear, produced boldness and strong faith.
When you get a revelation that God will take care of you because He loves you as much as He loves Jesus, it will produce the same results in you.
…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me, (Hebrews 13:5-6).
Know And Believe The Love
In I John 4:16, he says, And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. That is the fulfillment of what Jesus prayed in John 17, “…that the world may know that you sent me, and (you) have loved them, as (you) have loved me (paraphrase). John goes on to say, Herein is our love made perfect (fully developed), that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world, (I John 4:17). After we get to heaven? No, in this world.
Love Never Fails
Love knows the covenant-keeping God does not fail. Love keeps tithing and giving regardless of circumstances. Love has already made the decision to be obedient to the Father and His Word, regardless. Love knows the Word of God will bring success and never failure. In Luke 12, Jesus told us not to plan our own lives and security when He said, …take no thought (don’t worry, fear) for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on…consider the ravens…consider the lilies, (vs.22,24,27). Why? Because God loves us as much as He loves Jesus.
Peace is the sign of a prosperous soul.
How much more valuable are we than birds and flowers? He said He would clothe us greater than Solomon. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. FEAR NOT, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom, (verses 31-32). Why? Because He loves us as much as He loves Jesus. (VIF)