THE PERFECT LOVE OF GOD IN CHRIST TO SINNERS

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment; he who feareth is not made perfect in love." -I John 4:18 [KJV]

The wild fire of nature’s passions are often mistaken for heavenly love. These have hurried people into dreadful delusions. Some have pretended to be so perfect in love, as to have nothing but pure love in them, and that the being of sin was entirely taken out of them. But they have soon given awful evidence, that they “deceived themselves, and that the truth was not in them” (I John 1:8.) 

Be wise by other’s harms. Study the word of God: abide by that. Live upon the perfect love of God: glory in that alone. For you are, and ever will be, while in the body, the subject of sin, therefore subject to that fear which hath torment: to fear God as an enemy, armed with almighty vengeance and vindictive wrath against you, a sinner. How is this tormenting fear to be cast out? By love; the perfect love of God in Christ to sinners. 

This, clearly known, cordially received and steadily believed in the heart, ejects all fear that hath torment. “There is no fear in love.” When we are fully persuaded of God’s love, in giving His Son to die for our sins, and to save us from wrath: this precious, everlasting, immutable, perfect love of God the Father, and God the Son, shed abroad in our hearts by God the Holy Ghost, fills our minds with peace and joy: it suffers no tormenting fears of hell and damnation to remain. 

Our hearts are full of heaven. The love of heaven is in our souls. For “God is love, and God dwelleth in us.” Thou, poor sinner, dejected with fears, bemoaning thy sins, and mourning thy want of love to God, dost thou confess that Jesus is the Son of God? Know then, to thy present peace and everlasting comfort, “God dwelleth in thee, and thou in Him.” Do you ask, But why then am I so often tormented with fear? The apostle answers, you are not made perfect in, rather by love. Instead of firmly believing, and steadily living upon the perfect love of God in Christ, you lose sight of it, are slow of heart to believe it, and let it slip out of your mind. Hence, fears prevail again in your conscience. Here we mistake. 

We look for perfect love in ourselves to God, instead of the perfect love of God to us. If we find not a constant, pure flame of love ever burning in our hearts, without any smoke of contrary affections, tormenting fears beset us. This is for want of being established in God’s love to us. ‘Tis by this we are made perfect in our conscience, that God is at perfect peace with us in Christ. Hence, we are happy: “We love God, because He first loved us” (vs 10.) 

O! God of love, now shed abroad 

Thy perfect love within my breast, 

That I may run the heav’nly road 

With joy to Thy eternal rest.

 

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

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