1 John 4:16–17 (NLT): God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

Do you know what it means to live in love? To live in love is to not only be loving or to pursue trying to be loving. You know you are living in love when this world is foreign to you. You are saddened by the condition of this world.

Now listen, many are saddened by the condition of this world because they can no longer get what they used to, or they sense that their freedoms are being eroded. Sometimes they are offended because of the freedoms that they no longer have. This is the wrong kind of freedom to have. It reeks of self.

Here is what living in love is. When you (Christian) look at this world, you feel sad because so much of this world is without love. True love.

Are you living in love? There is another way to know. Look at what you look at. What draws you? Is there a pining in you stronger than anything else in your life to know God? What John says is true, God is love, and if you are living in Him then you are living in love.

Do you think that the life of love is automatic?

When you decide to follow Jesus all of a sudden you are a person of love? Sorry, it doesn’t work that way. Now, the opportunity to be loving starts at salvation because you are now indwelled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ who makes it possible to truly love.

The passage tells us plainly that as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. God fully intends for you to experience what the lost experience with all of the temptations this world has to offer. And everyday our love is tested. What will you do?

God’s grace is there, but so is God’s power. God’s power can grow in you to a huge degree. Your life in God can produce immense love. A kind of love that opens doors for ministry to others.

Are you the kind of person who loves this world more than God and you rely heavily upon His grace extended to you by Jesus? You feel as though you are caught in a tug-of-war between what you know of God and the hope of being filled with His power one day and your love for the things of this world?

Live like Jesus!

Live like Jesus!

That does not mean being a good person. Get that out of your mind and life. It means looking into the words of God and continually pursing who you are in Christ and who Christ is in you. Continually ask the question day after day…who is Jesus? Who is Jesus in me!?

Tell God, beg God, please fulfill this desire! Open my eyes to more of who You are, I want to understand. Please reveal who You are in me.

Are you content today with what you know of God?

You see my friend, God wants you to be confident when you see Him at His appearing. Now, how do you think that is going to happen? As you ask to know Him day by day, He is revealing who He is and who He is in you. Every day that you ask, He contradicts your love for this world and you have to make a choice, every day, because you love Him more than the world.

At His appearing, you will know Him and expect to either be over joyed or filled with embarrassment and shame.

I pray that when He appears there will be no difference in what you thought He would be like and the reality of Him. He will transform Your mind so that you can truly know Him and the image that He is making in you will be exactly who He is. So that when you see Him you will say, YES! Yes! You are who you said to me You are!

Or you will find yourself saying, I didn’t know You were more than what I thought. I didn’t realize that You are what I now see. And He will say, you couldn’t take your eyes off of this world to see me. I would have revealed who I am to you but you were too full of this world, how sad.

The confidence isn’t you living a good life…get that out of your head! The confidence is knowing Him at His appearing. What has been engraved on my heart is who I see standing before me.

Confidence comes from letting go of this world and looking for Jesus in you. Where is Jesus in me? What are you doing in me Jesus? Jesus who are You in me? Jesus who am I in You?

Do you want confidence for today, tomorrow, all the days of your life and for eternity?

Well then read it again…

1 John 4:16–17 (NLT): God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

Confess to God your love for this world and beg Him to reveal to you who He is and who you are in Him. He will, He wants you to be confident! He made you to be confident.

Lord, thank You for revealing Yourself to us. And we get to know You as we abide in You and let go of the things in this world. Nothing here compares to the reality we find in You. Thank You that You are ready, help us to make ourselves ready to see You. Thank You so much Jesus for making all this possible through Your great love for us.

Blessings,

Pastor D