SOME MUSINGS ON GOSPEL REALITIES

'And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.' - 1 John 4 vs 16 - 17 {KING JAMES VERSION}

Pay attention to the words I want to highlight to you from these Bible verses we have just read;

• The love that God hath to us
• Herein is our love made perfect
• That we may have boldness

Now note that the word 'herein' as used in the verse 17 means 'in this'. So the verse 17 is a continuation of the verse 16. In the verse 17, the Apostle John went on to say "in this is our love made perfect". So the question is, In what? The answer is in the verse 16. In the verse 16, he spoke about the love that God has towards us. See it again;

'And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.' - 1 John 4 vs 16 {KJV}

You see... He was talking about the love that God has toward us. Then in the verse 17 He says, "herein is our love perfect". Meaning, in this, in the love that God has towards us, our love is perfect. Glory to God. He also added, saying that we also have boldness in the day of judgment because of the love that God has towards us. Let's look at the verse 17 again;

'Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment...'

This means that the love of God towards us gives us boldness to stand before God. He says, in the love of God towards us our love is made perfect, that we may have boldness. That means one of the effects of God's love towards us which He manifested in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, is to give us boldness to stand before Him. - Selah

'In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.' - Jeremiah 33 vs 16 {KJV}

The Prophets spoke about the justification by faith, how that the Christ will become the righteousness of those who believe in Him. And this has been fulfilled by the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Hence the Apostle Paul says;

'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.' - Ephesians 2 vs 8 - 9 {KING JAMES VERSION}

• By Grace are you saved
• Not of works | not of yourself
• It is the gift of God

Waow. Glory to God. So you see, your salvation is a gift from God. You didn't earn it, neither can you sustain it. How can you sustain what you couldn't purchase? - Think about it. Note that, the price needed to sustain Salvation in a Believer is the same price that purchased it. Therefore, if you couldn't purchase it, you cannot sustain it, because it's the same price. See this;

'Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?' - Galatians 3 vs 3 {KJV}

Seeing that the blood of Jesus birthed our Salvation, it takes the blood of Jesus to maintain and sustain it. That's what the Apostle Paul was communicating to the Galatia brethren. - Think about it. This is God's love lavishly poured out on us. Therefore beloved, in this (by the knowledge of God's love towards you) should your love for God be made perfect/solid, and you should have boldness to stand before God without any fear or guilt, because of His love towards you which you now know of. Christ's blood saved you, that same blood keeps you saved. Hence, you stand boldly upon that revelation and draw near to God. - Selah

'Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith...' - Hebrews 12 vs 2 {KJV}

The word 'faith' as used in that verse speaks of 'Salvation'. So what the Apostle said is,

'Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our salvation.'

Meaning Salvation is given by JESUS, and Salvation is consummated by JESUS. Glory to God. Christ saved us, Christ keeps us saved; all we have to do is to trust and continually put our trust in what Christ has done for us. That trust (which is faith), will regulate our lives, and cause us to walk in the will and righteousness of God.

'For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance.' - 2 Corinthians 5 vs 7 {AMPC}

• we regulate our lives by our conviction or belief
• we conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief
• By trusting, thus we walk

You see... Christ saved us, Christ keeps us saved - in that the salvation is eternal; then as obedient children that we are, we bring our lives/conducts into alignment with the realities of our new birth in Christ, and the result of that is a life glowing with light and righteousness, which all men can see. Glory to God. This is what he talked about when he says,

• we regulate our lives by our conviction or belief
• we conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief
• By trusting, thus we walk

'As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance...' - 1 Peter 1 vs 14 {KJV}

We are obedient children, we love God our Father, we love the Lord Jesus Christ our saviour and king, we are obedient to the will of God, we fashion our lives according to the realities of our new nature in Christ, we bring our lives into alignment with all that God stands for. We are obedient to God! We are righteous people!

I trust God that you have received understanding, and you are lifted. Amen.

God is with you.

- Jenning U. Angel