“But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him” (1 John 2:5, NKJV).
Faith and love are eternal in Christ. Faith unlocks His love and love fuels faith. Back and forth they go. Faith in His word unlocks love in our hearts; His love for us, His love for His body and His love for the world. Love causes us to know we are in His heart, and that before time began, we were in Christ, holy and without blame, before the Father in love. Love gives confidence, because it drives out fear. Just as light removes darkness from a room, so love removes fear from a heart. When fear develops from past trauma, old patterns of control, or a clear and present danger, love is waiting, ready to be revealed once more within our hearts.
Keeping the word of God is honoring what God has said, promised and directed as truth. Truth we can believe, truth we can trust and truth we can worship God with. We find God (or rather He finds us) when we worship in sprit and truth (John 4:23, 24). Bringing to God His words in worship is the most attractive thing we can do, because we are bringing God to God. Soon the words of God activate the faith of God and the love of God comes, securing us within His presence. Fear has no place in His presence, and even though the rational may not have been satisfied, love casts out fear once more. Now peace can come, guarding our hearts and minds, and allowing hope to spring forth in present time!
Present time hope is the fruit of abiding in Jesus and His words abiding in us. Faith unlocks the love that God has for us, and hope springs forth. Hope is like the sun shining. It radiates from the face of Jesus, springs forth in the words of Jesus and shines in the midst of faith and love. It’s for the future, and for today, without being bound by the past. It is always fresh, because it is found in His presence. The same presence where His words mature our confidence in His faithfulness.
I worship Jesus because I want to be found again, and again, and again. I worship Jesus in truth (His truth spoken to me), because I want to experience the fresh hope His love and faith hold for me. Here in His presence, my forerunner Jesus Christ, my high priest, affirms my faith. He refreshes my hope and fills me with His love. I am perfect in love.
