The love that God has for us

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:16-17)

And we have known and believed that the love that God has for us

1. God has demonstrated His love toward us in and through Christ (Romans 5:8)
   1. He did not spare His own Son (Romans 8:32)
   2. He delivered Him up for us all (Romans 8:32)
2. Christ has shown to us that He loves us as He gave Himself for our sins (Galatians 1:4)
   1. He died for us (Romans 8:34)
   2. He is also risen (Romans 8:34)
   3. He makes intercession for us in heaven (Romans 8:34)
3. Knowing and believing that God loves us is only logical
   1. This is something we apprehend doctrinally
   2. This is something we appreciate personally

God is love …

1. That God is love is not so much the premise as the conclusion
2. God after all is love
   1. We see God loving us
   2. We experience God loving us
   3. We thus conclude that God is love
3. Abiding in love as for us is
   1. The same as abiding in God
   2. The same as having God abide in us
   3. The proof that there is a mutual abiding between God and us

Love has been perfected among us…

1. Love is meant to grow
2. Once our love for God and brethren has become mature (perfected), we shall have no fear
   1. Of being rejected
   2. Of being persecuted
   3. Of being tried on the Judgement Day
3. We shall be confident and bold

Because as He is, so are we in the world

1. We are like Christ
2. We bear God’s image (Character)
3. How we live here on earth matters eternally