I want to talk to you about a life without failure!
Let’s look at what the Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Paul in Romans 5, “and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” – Romans 5:5 KJV
If you have been born again, notice in verse 1 that he is speaking to those of us who have been justified by faith, then the love of God has already been shed abroad in our hearts – in our spirits.
If you just want to know the real truth about the matter, that is HOW we got born a again! We believed in our hearts that Jesus was raised from the dead, we made confession with our mouths that Jesus is Lord over our lives and love came flooding into our spirits and recreated them!
Every born again Christian has the love of God residing in them but did you know that is not enough to experience victory in this life on earth?
Turn with me over to 1 John chapter 2. “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our’s only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” – 1 John 2:1-5 KJV
Notice that the Holy Spirit through John, the Apostle of love, makes a point of drawing our attention to something very important in verse 5. He points out the love of God that is in us needs to be “perfected” in our lives. Let’s look at verses 4 and 5 in the Amplified Classic translation of the Bible and we will get a clearer picture of what John and the Holy Ghost are getting across to us.
“Whoever says, I know Him [I perceive, recognize, understand, and am acquainted with Him] but fails to keep and obey His commandments (teachings) is a liar, and the Truth [of the Gospel] is not in him. But he who keeps (treasures) His Word [who bears in mind His precepts, who observes His message in its entirety], truly in him has the love of and for God been perfected (completed, reached maturity). By this we may perceive (know, recognize, and be sure) that we are in Him:” – 1 John 2:4-5 AMPC
Look at that! The love OF God and the love FOR God! Notice that we are told that both expressions (love OF God for others and love FOR God) will be perfected, completed and brought to maturity!
Obviously, we cannot cover the entire book of 1 John in one short letter but I highly encourage you – no, it’s a little stronger than that – I’m telling you, you need to read the book of 1 John in its entirety over and over again! It is a short book so just go ahead and read it once a day for a month!
For purposes of this blog though, let’s look at one other passage in 1 John. I am warning you though . . . You had better put on some type of a seat belt or something if you want to stay in that seat!
“Anyone who confesses (acknowledges, owns) that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides (lives, makes His home) in him and he [abides, lives, makes his home] in God. And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him. In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection].” – 1 John 4:15-18 AMPC
God living in us, us living in God and living our lives with absolutely no trace of fear or terror about ANYTHING! WOW!
It sounds almost too good to be true but it’s not! It literally is the truth because we just saw it in the Word and the Word IS the truth!
So, how does this love that is in us become mature in its expression in our lives? We find 2 ways listed right here in 1 John and we already looked at one of them. Go back and look at chapter 2 and verse 5. “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” – 1 John 2:5 KJV
Keep the Word! Make the Word 1st priority in your life. Read it. Meditate it. DO IT!
The second way to develop this love is found in chapter 4 and verse 12. “No man has at any time [yet] seen God. But if we love one another, God abides (lives and remains) in us and His love (that love which is essentially His) is brought to completion (to its full maturity, runs its full course, is perfected) in us!” – 1 John 4:12 AMPC
In loving one another, love is brought to full maturity and runs its full course! For some of us though, we don’t have a good understanding of what loving people actually looks like. Apparently we are not the only ones that have had that problem though! The same Holy Spirit who wrote the book of 1 John wrote to us through the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians and helped us understand by explaining it quite plainly, thank God!
“Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 AMPC
There it is! Exactly what a life of love looks like in practical, every day terms and winding up by explaining that this is the ticket to living a life completely free from failure!
I’ll finish by giving one more insight into how this actually functions in a believer’s life. We know and understand that we are supposed to live our lives by our faith (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38) BUT we also know that faith works and is active and effective BY LOVE (Galatians 5:6)!
The more highly developed and mature our love, the more active and effective our faith!
Glory to God! We just went “widescreen” on John 10:10! Love (Jesus) came that we can have LIFE and have it more abundantly – without fail – and this is how it works!