Perfect love

Love is perfected means it has been made mature, complete and full. Only in a man who has accepted his utterly depraved and unworthy state can love be perfected. Only when a person arrives and admits to his deplorable state can he freely receive God’s unlimited grace and unconditional love. Love isn’t love until it is extended to and received by the unlovable. Love is known only through forgiveness and forgiveness can only be experienced when sinners accept their depravity – 100% depraved. Jesus would say concerning the adulterous woman in Luke 7:47 “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” In his sinful state a man has nothing with which to pay for love, he is penniless, bankrupt, poverty stricken. To this man Jesus comes and says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3 What is Jesus saying? He is saying “I love you!” The devil’s world system operates on principles like survival of the fittest, every man for himself and you get what you pay for. These describe the economy of mammon – buying and selling. But the kingdom of God operates by other principles.

No man can me motivated by God’s love unless he has first been loved by God. Perfect love means a mature, complete and full love. It is a love that can only be experienced by being forgiven. Love is the signal the conscience sends to the soul when it’s guilt has been purged by the blood of Jesus Christ, when it’s condemnation has been taken away by Christ’s sacrifice, when it’s anger against self has been appeased by the cross. The sense of being loved restores man’s lost security and establishes his significance. The Christian is set free to give his life without counting the cost, comparing his production to others or competing for the top performer award. A depraved and bankrupt man or woman who had been freely loved by God is motivated from his inner man with a motivation that takes him farther than guilt, ambition or obligation could ever take him.

From Deep in the Heart

I wrote a song entitled “Thank You Lord”. The words go like this…

A father gives everything a child needs to grow.

Won’t hold back one thing from the one that he loves so.

All he has is given to his child at his expense.

To him all things are free no debts, tax or rent.

Then from deep in the heart where no voice is ever heard

Love received responds in simple gracious words.

Gratitude springs to the heart and all can hear the chord

Thank you Lord.

God the Father gave His beloved only Son.

He spared no expense for us all is paid and done.

Now we’ve received His righteousness, His life and Spirit pure

To us all things are free by promise made secure.

This song describes what perfect love is. Perfect love is not positive thinking or an abstract concept of self-love. It is the most real and explosive energy in the universe. It is the life that motivated God to send His Son. It motivated Jesus to go to the Cross. Its power rose our Savior from the dead. God is love. When this love satisfies our evil and offended consciences and declares to the deepest part of our being that we are valuable, precious and wanted there is a resultant expression of thanksgiving and joy. These expressions come from beyond religious calculations of good and bad and the moral judgments of right and wrong. They come from beyond our understanding and knowledge. God’s love, the highest love, when it meets man’s need, the deepest need, resounds like an orchestra in the soul. The symphony of the parts of the soul – conscience, mind, emotions, volition – harmonize together to produce a song with these simple words – THANK YOU LORD!! This is perfect love. And when love is perfect it casts out fear and motivates the greatest of Christian endeavors and faith adventures. Jesus who loves you is with you so go into all the world and preach the gospel of God’s love to every creature.

Brian D. Lange