By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. (1 John 4:17)
Our constant abiding in God’s love on this earth bolsters our confidence to a point approaching that which we will have “in the day of judgment,” when we stand before him. The more we abide in his love here, the more confidence we will have there. More importantly, they will know we are Christians by our love “in this world.” We should all aspire to show our stripes in this fashion.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. (1 John 4:18)
While we fear God, we don’t actually fear him, because we love him. Fear and love in this instance cannot coexist, yet we fear him and consequently love him perfectly. Fear, as we know it to be conventionally, will result in punishment, and a lifestyle lived that is “one step ahead of the law” is bound for severe judgment. We don’t want to live this way, do we?
And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:3)
35“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? (Mark 8:35–36)
We don’t want to leave behind a cloud of dust, but a trail of crowns. We don’t want to live in fear, but shrouded by his love. We don’t want to have run in vain, but to have run to win.
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