© 17 Colin Melbourne
So Are We
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 Jn. 4:17
Have you pondered how this should be taken? …so are we.
Is it instruction, a gentle command, or tantalisingly, could it perhaps be written as a spiritual statement of fact about us?
It’d be pleasant for believers if it were to be received as an assertion, regardless of how they behaved; and in part, that is true, because of His loving grace toward His children.
Which of us can lay claim to manifesting perfect love, as Christ did, in this world?
Under Grace: Not Law
I fall far short of His impeccable standard, just as you do, and so we rejoice that we live under grace: Not law, Rom. 6:11-14 KJV;
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
The Spirit of God has branded that final clause on every believer’s heart, along with; the divine witness inside our very spirit, as sure as the Finger of God wrote the Ten Commandments on tables of stone. Ex. 31:18 KJV;
And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
That is why when examining our walk in the Spirit: It becomes plain that, “as He is, so are we” is a fact only of believers who do walk in the love of God in this world.
They will have boldness on Judgment Day, for their love is complete, mature, perfect.
In this world, they did what Jesus wanted, and led, them to do.
This resonates with Christ’s loving rebuke; to us, to the disobedient, and to hypocrites, Lk. 6:46 KJV;
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
We sigh on realization of our shortcomings, we missed it again, and followed our flesh. Immediately we repent, pressing on in the Spirit, with greater; humility, thankfulness, and divine love for each person the LORD brings across our path.
The greatest of these is charity
We set our hearts to honour and to manifest the love of Christ shed abroad in our heart, to allow it to direct us, to show it, and so love enemies with His love.
It’s what He died for.
Let’s follow in His steps, 1 Jn. 4:17 KJV;
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.
Don’t Miss the Tense
For more blessing notice the tenses, not; as he was, but as he is. Not; so should we be, but so are we in this world.
I don’t understand Greek, but I do know the KJV is His perfect written word in English, and those verbs are present-continuous tense.
Just like His Name: I AM.
He was, He is, and He forever will be Almighty God, and as we walk in His love shed abroad in our hearts; He becomes flesh once again on Earth… IN US, present continuously, as we walk in step with Him.
Feel free to shout GLORY! Amen.
Smith Wigglesworth became England’s greatest Evangelist. Miracles, signs and wonders always followed his preaching, so inevitably Satan prompted criticism, but Smith had learned how to forgive and walk in the Anointing.
His critics have long since perished, forgotten. But Smith’s ministry continues today through books of his sermons such as this classic, Ever Increasing Faith. If you are hungry for God, this taster will feed you.
© 17 Colin Melbourne