From Fear To Joy

Transcript

Well, we’re in the first epistle of John and he’s saying, “Herein is our love made perfect in order that we may have boldness in the day of judgment.” Now, how does this work out? He’s talking about love that has grown up, so to speak, love that has been perfected, love that has been matured. I guess you could use that expression. It’s made mature. This word made perfect means to grow up and become mature. “In order,” said he, “That we might have boldness in the day of judgment.” Now, why would he say that? Because the more God’s love fills your life, the less you have to be afraid of in terms of the day of reckoning. That’s what he’s driving at later on, when he says “Perfect love casteth out all fear.” Our love is grown up, it’s matured, God works in us to shed his love abroad in our hearts, according to Romans 5:5. And as that process continues, there is less and less to be afraid of in terms of coming judgment.

It’s the picture of a little child whose father is a judge. Someone told me the story of a courtroom scene, where a prisoner was being sentenced. Now, this wouldn’t ordinarily happen, but I guess it did happen and the person who told it to me told it for a fact. He said there was this courtroom in a small locality where a prisoner was about to be sentenced, standing there, shame-faced and embarrassed and downcast and about to receive sentence for some crime that he had committed, a look, certainly, of fear in his eyes. At that very instant, the courtroom door opened and a tiny figure of a little four-year-old girl came in like a little fairy creature with sunlight glinting from her beautiful dress and on her flaxen curls, and she went straight up to the bench, up the steps behind the swinging door that led onto that raised platform where the judge was seated in his robes, and climbed right up on his knee and said, “Hello, Papa, I love you.”

Now, on one hand, there was fear on the part of the prisoner. On the other hand there was complete confidence because of love on the part of that little child. Now, this I think is what the writer to the Hebrews has in mind when he says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace.” It’s not a throne of judgement any longer. Jesus said, “He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life and shall not come into the judgment, but is passed already from death unto life.” The more you love God the less you’ll be afraid of coming judgment, that’s what John is saying here. Our love is grown up and made mature, so that we will have confidence in the day of judgment.

Now, this comes about through abiding in Christ. In the second chapter of 1 John, we considered a while back, verse 2-28, “And now little children, abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” So that there will be a day when we meet our Lord. Now, this, then is the truth that surrounds that simple expression that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. Perfect love casts out fear. Do you see the truth there? Now, let me ask myself and let me ask you, dear friend, how much do we really love the Lord? It must be said that, for most people, there are pockets, little enclaves of resistance to the will of God which spoil a proper relationship between ourselves and God.

God is faithful, and he does speak to our hearts, doesn’t he? And so, if I want confidence in terms of facing my blessed Lord, the thing I have to do is to make sure that the pockets of resistance to God’s will have finally been emptied out and I have said an everlasting yes to God on those matters, so that I can have perfect confidence toward him. Adam and Eve ran away from the presence of God after sin had entered their lives. Isaiah the prophet says, “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and hid his face from you, that he will not hear. God’s hand is not shortened, neither is his ear heavy, but sin has separated.” And so the result of opposition to God’s will is that it makes me afraid of Him, it makes me afraid of Him. It says that the multitudes were taken with great fear when they saw God working. The result of my fallen sinful condition and my opposition to God’s will is that it makes me afraid of Him, the only answer to it is to let me yield myself completely to His will, to be filled with His Spirit, and let His love start to grow and to conquer in my life, and then I won’t be afraid of Him, but I’ll draw nigh with confidence. With confidence I now draw nigh, and Father, Abba, Father, cry.

You follow that truth? Now work today, beloved, on developing that confidence that is based on real love. Ask the blessed Spirit of God to fill your life with genuine love for God, so that you feel comfortable with God just like you and I feel comfortable with each other, so that you feel comfortable with God because you love him. Okay?

Precious Father, we love you, we pray that today, you’ll walk with us and that the Holy Spirit of God may be within us speaking and living for the glory of Christ. In his name, I pray, Amen.

Till I meet you once again by way of radio, walk with the King today and be a blessing!
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