Sermon on 1 John 4:16-21, for the 1st Sunday after Trinity (1 Yr lectionary), "Love Perfected"

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. What does it mean to be perfect? Depending on what you are talking about, you could probably stir up some pretty hot disagreement about that word. What defines a “perfect” work of art? A painting, a sculpture, or a story or a song? How closely it reflects reality? Other’s might argue that “perfection” isn’t even a goal we should aim for. They might find the beauty in the irregularities and imperfections of life, the organic beauty of nature, or the jumbled threads that make up the back of a tapestry. Or what defines a perfect person, or perfect parenting, or a perfect job? We might get into similar arguments about right or wrong methods, about the danger of “perfectionism”, impossible standards, etc. “Perfect” can be a contentious word.

Do we resent the idea of “perfection” when almost everyone these days says: “nobody’s perfect!”—or do we just want someone to cut us some slack? Whatever your opinions on those questions, the Bible has something to say about being “perfect” too. 1 John 4:17-18 says “By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” Jesus also teaches that loving your enemies shows you are sons of your Father in heaven. He says in the Sermon on the Mount: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

Is this the part when we surrender and give up all hope? God has laid down the impossible standard for us? Surrender? Yes. Give up all hope? Never! Do the impossible? You betcha!....But here’s the essential point—it’s not by your power. That’s why we have to surrender. Surrendering ourselves to God is to admit that it’s not in our own power to become the person that God would have us be. But don’t ever give up hope, because with God, all things are possible! Any movement toward the perfect can only come from above, from God.

I led you on a bit of a rabbit trail with the questions about perfection at the beginning. Showing you our definitions of “perfection” is to highlight what’s missing from the central dimension of the Bible’s definition. The root word in Greek is “telos”. Whether part of a verb, noun, or adjective it conveys the central idea of something reaching its completion, fulfillment, or goal. A telos is an end, a goal, and a purpose. When Jesus dies on the cross with the word “Tetelesthai” on His lips—He’s saying—“It is finished; completed; perfected.” Jesus had accomplished His goal or purpose in that suffering death on the cross. To take away our sins.

When Jesus talks about us being “perfect” as our heavenly Father is perfect—we need to think not only in terms of sinless perfection—which we can only receive in heaven, when we have been glorified. But we need to think in terms of being mature, complete, and patterned after the Love of our heavenly Father. When our reading from John talks about God’s love being perfected in us, it’s talking about God working out the purpose of His love in us. Completing us, shaping us, bringing us toward His perfection. Now that you are hopefully able to think about and understand the word “perfect” in the sense of the goal and purpose toward which God is bringing your life, let’s look back at what the Bible passage says, with greater understanding.

¹⁶ So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. God is Love. God defines Himself by Love. But love is another sloppy word that’s used to mean just about everything today—from “I love that TV show” to “I love my wife” and everything between. Love in our vocabulary often boils down to a feeling. “I like it; I enjoy it.” At least right now, anyhow. Check back in a couple of years, or maybe even a couple of days, and my feelings might have changed! But that’s a lousy definition of love, especially if we’re going to speak about “God is Love.” But it’s even a lousy definition for human relationships too!

God’s love is a sacrificial love. He makes great and unthinkable sacrifices for us. How do I know? Jesus said “Greater love has no one than this—that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13). He also said, “I am the Good Shepherd…I lay down my life for the sheep…for this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” (John 10:14-18, excerpts). God’s love is not just a warm feeling, but He loves us in concrete and costly ways. Jesus laid down His own life, freely—not as a victim, but as the Good Shepherd. This is truly great love. Any definition of “God is love” has to recognize the enormous price He paid.

1 John is echoing this, a few verses before our reading, in 4:10, “In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Propitiation means that Jesus’ death on the cross put away God’s anger against our sins, and now we face God’s blessing and forgiveness instead. We love because He first loved us, vs. 19 of our reading reads. All of our growth, our development, our being perfected and matured in love, begins with God’s first-love for us in Christ Jesus. God’s first-love initiates a new love in us. We love because He first loved us. This is no chicken and egg problem—God’s love clearly comes first, and our love after.

¹⁷ By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. Our confidence in the day of judgment is not that we have achieved perfection apart from God, or that our good works reached a high enough level that God could “grade us on the curve” and spare us His judgment. No, our confidence in the day of judgment is that just as Jesus is—perfect and holy before God—so also are we in this world. God has radically and completely forgiven our sins and given us the status of His Son Jesus—by faith in Him. The inexpressible gift of God is that He counts you with the same innocence and holiness as Jesus, His beloved Son. This status is impossible on our own—but with God, all things are possible! He delights to call us His children, as we trust in Him.

¹⁸ There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. Obedience to God’s law is always better than disobedience. But not all obedience is the same. Kids can obey their parents to avoid the threat of some punishment or lost privilege. Would-be criminals can obey the law for fear of the punishment. Fear can create obedience. But God is after a higher obedience. God wants us to be “perfected in love.” A higher obedience is when a child, a citizen, or a Christian obeys and does what is good—not from fear, but from love! Loving our neighbor, showing generosity, kindness, goodness—not because we are being coerced to do it, not because of fear or guilt, but because of love. A willing and grateful obedience is pleasing to God. Perfect love casts out fear.

Perhaps at times we have obeyed God motivated through fear. The problem with that kind of obedience is that it is often linked with resentment. It is not joyful and willing act, but grudging or tedious. But God’s perfect love casts out fear. Knowing God’s love for us in Christ Jesus—witnessing what He did for us on the cross, and how that wipes away all the guilt of our sins, frees us to let go of fear. Knowing that we aren’t under the threat of punishment and the impossible duty of maintaining a “score card” or “grade report” with God—frees us from worrying about never being able to please God—and reminds us that God is perfectly pleased with His Son Jesus Christ—and that status is freely given to us as children of God who believe in Him. It frees us to practice a new kind of obedience.

We are free to serve our neighbor in love. ¹⁹ We love because he first loved us. ²⁰ If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. ²¹ And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. Our love begins with God’s first-love for us. Our love is an overflowing, or an outpouring, of the love that God has first poured into us. A love that makes sacrifices, that cares about the good of others, and doesn’t put ourselves first. A love that is committed, real, and durable—that doesn’t surrender at the fickle changing of feelings, but seeks perfection in God’s love.

God gives us a real and tangible “testing ground” to show our love for Him. It’s how we love our brother. Hatred is a sure sign that God’s love hasn’t taken root in our lives, and that we cannot truly love God whom we have not seen. Hatred is the opposite of love. Hatred wants someone to suffer evil. It’s filled with ill will toward a person. God’s commandment is that whoever loves God must also love his brother. All our life is an opportunity to live out that truth, to put it into practice. Even against our enemies, as Jesus taught us. Words are not enough, our actions must show that we love.

It brings us right back to the beginning—how can we be perfected in love? Only by God’s grace, and by His perfect first-love for us in Christ Jesus. God’s perfect love melts down the walls of resistance, stubbornness, selfishness, and hatred built up in us through sin. God’s love creates in us a new love, poured into us by the Holy Spirit. And that love is perfected in us, our whole life long, as we are given over to God’s way of living—to learn to walk in His ways. How can I know that this will happen? Why can I be confident that God is going to work this transformation in you? As St. Paul says in Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ”. Completed, finished, perfect. God has committed to perfecting His love in you, and the date of completion is the return of our Lord Jesus! Amen! Come Lord Jesus!

Sermon Talking Points

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1. Read 1 John 4:16-21 and reflect on the meaning of this passage. Start with some definitions of these common words: Love; perfected; fear; punishment; hate; brother; commandment. Note! The Biblical definitions may not be what we commonly think of from these words.
2. God is Love. Therefore God cannot be truly known apart from His love. It’s the essence of who He is. God’s love is sacrificial and self-giving. How do we know? 1 John 4:10-11, 19; John 10:14-18.
3. The Greek word translated “perfected” in v. 17 refers to the completion of something or reaching its purpose or goal. How is love brought to its purpose in us by a confident trust in God? By loving our brother and our neighbor as ourselves? By obeying God, not out of fear, but out of love?
4. What does fear do to our obedience? What does love do to our obedience? What does fear do to our relationships? What does love do to our relationships? How does “perfect love drive out fear?” 1 John 4:18
5. Why must all our love flow from God’s “first love”? 1 John 4:19. Why is that an amazing relief, and a source of confidence on the day of judgment? 1 John 4:17.
6. Why is hatred totally inconsistent with love for God? Why can’t we have it both ways—hating our fellow man, but loving God? 1 John 4:20-21.
7. How does God reform our love into His own pattern? Where do we see this pattern perfectly and clearly?