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. 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. 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.
1 John 4:17-21 ESV
As God abides in us, we are being perfected in His love more and more each day. Sometimes we feel confident in this process and feel like we can see the effects of God’s love working in and through us. Those days are amazing!! On other days we may feel like a wrong action or wrong attitude causes uncertainty and we feel like we could become derailed from God’s love. While we should constantly examine our hearts, words, and actions to affirm true assurance in our right standing before the Lord, we also should not fear the day of judgment based solely on our shortcomings. It is God’s faithful love, grace, and mercy that overcomes our hearts and causes us to stand in His presence.
I found this chart in The Teacher’s Commentary (Richards, Lawrence O., 1987) and I think this simple test is a practical way to help us examine our lives. If you find yourself in one of these categories from time to time, you can use this to gauge your thoughts and actions. The end result of each of these categories SHOULD be evidence that we know Him if when we examine our lives these THEN statements prove to be true.
For example, if you find yourself having slipped into an act of sin and you examine your heart to find that you don’t really care that your action was offensive against God, then beware; you lack evidence that you know Him. But, as you examine your heart and find that you are truly grieved at having offended the holy and living God with your actions, and it spurs you to make a change so that you don’t intentionally sin that way again, that’s a pretty good indication that you do know Him.
God, continue to transform us from the inside out so that we can have confidence before You today and always. Move us from these outer categories on this chart into the perfect scenario by which our hearts are responsive to You, and our feeling of being loving aligns with our loving actions. We want to have the highest of confidence that we know You, that we obey You, and that we love others with the amazing love You have first given us. Help us, God!