God's Perfect Love Perfects Me

 This is an old revelation, and yet it's a new revelation, and a renewed revelation in turn.

I am a new creation in Christ.

God the Father's love for me makes me something more than just "loved".

His love makes me "accepted" or highly favored:

"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Ephesians 1:6)

His love perfected among us brings us into His Son, and gives us His Son's own standing:

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17)

The correct translation reads: "Hereins is love perfected among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment ..."

It's not about our love being perfect. It's about God's love perfected among us, within us!

God's love perfects us to be ... as Jesus is, and thus so are we in this world!

"For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." (Hebrews 2:10)

And

"14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:14-17)

Our sonship before God the Father in Christ Jesus does not change because we feel bad, or we have lustful feelings, or angry thoughts.

It's about a new, perfected identity before God in Christ Jesus.

When I would go about in life, I would get worried about getting worried. I would feel fearful about feeling fearful. I was constantly concerned that how I felt or what I was thinking would frustrate God's grace, His presence in my life.

That is totally nuts! Yet that is precisely what I used to believe. God's goodness and favor on my life does not go away because I feel bad. It seems so strange now, looking back on everything,

But now it makes perfect sense. Thank you, Jesus, for bearing with me, for being patient with me, for helping me to see more of You and to understand how much You love me, in spite of everything.

Another revelation breaks forth for me ...

Many people get worried about God's unconditional love. They fear that this love, just lavished on others, will induce people to sin wilfully, with complete abandon of what is right and wrong.

Wow! This rest is really incredible. My feelings have nothing to do with my standing, and my performance has nothing to do with my standing.

This life is no longer about not feeling bad, or trying to control bad feelings. This life is about resting in the true knowledge of my new identity in Christ Jesus. Amen!

God's perfect love perfects me:

"For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:14)