I suppose that all of us at one time or another have said – either seriously or in jest – “Well, that’s easy for you to say.” Or maybe its been some other form – “It’s easier said than done,” or “Words are cheap.” These phrases express what we all know to be true – simple words can sometimes easily describe very difficult ideas or deeds.
The Apostle John often writes about the deepest truths. Sometimes they are rooted in eternity past, or in Jehovah Himself, and sometimes they are related to a future eternity of which we know next to nothing. But while dealing with these deep things of God, he sometimes uses very simple words. He talks about God and the world, life – death, hate – love, light – darkness – in simple terms. The last half of verse 17 – our text for this evening – is almost all momosyllablic. Yet despite its verbal simplicity, will we EVER really grasp the meaning of this sentence?
Here, John has been thinking about the saint abiding in the Lord and God in him. And herein is mutual love – love perfected (whatever that means). In this reciprocal love there is confidence at the judgment – verse 17. “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment.” In this mutual love is the removal of fear – verse 18. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” – II Timothy 1:7. In this love between God and the saint, another kind of love is kindled – verses 20-21. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”
Let’s briefly – very briefly – consider verse 17 this evening.
A Christian is someone living in the likeness of Christ.
When the word “Christian” was first coined, why did those unbelieving Antiocians speak of saints in that way? I suppose that we can’t answer that with assurance. The saints worshiped Christ, and were anticipating His return. They assembled themselves together and prayed in the name of Christ Jesus. They also tried to live the way that Jesus taught them to live; they imitated Christ; tried to be like Him.
But what is the modern, common-place definition or description of a Christian? Someone christened as a baby? Someone who periodically attends a church from a Christian denomination. Maybe while omitting the weightier matters of the law, they tithe, and either support – or picket – abortion clinics. They feed the hungry overseas, give their old clothes to the mission downtown, protest hunting and run for political office. The liberal Christian may look at the Bible, but generally only as history – WHAT did Jesus DO, and what should I do in response. Rather than WHO was Jesus Christ, and what should I BE; like the Pharisees, it’s all about deeds and action.
Real Bible Christianity is much more than turning out assembly-line, cookie-cutter Christians. Christianity is not about reforming the world, or reforming lives – it’s about new life – regeneration. The new life in that saint is not one of his choosing – it’s not just the overcoming of a bad vice. It is Christ is us. As Christ is today, so are the saints of God in this world – verse 17.
To put it plainly, Christianity is more than details – it is the imbibing and living the life of Christ. It is abiding in Christ – in His spirit, not just his example. Verse 13 – ” Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.” When we have fellowship with Christ – we walk in God’s light. ” If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” – I John 1:6. When we pray, we do so seeking His will. When we are like Him, we realize and enjoy being saturated with His presence. While bearing the image of the earthly, because we have born into this world; we have also been born into another, so we also bear the image of the Heavenly. Christ always seeks first the Kingdom of God, and so should the saint. As Christ walked in the light, so does the child of God.
“As he is so ARE we in the world.” This Christ-likeness is not merely something to which we are striving – it is something we possess. Likeness to the Master is certain – guaranteed. There may be degrees of likeness – but there is definitely some likeness. I may be wrong, but I believe that the first assembly-line-built automobile was the Model T Ford. Every car since has had a regular similarity with that first car. There may be differences in the skill of the artist, but a classroom of students trying to reproduce that masterpiece, will all produce something somewhat similar.
“As he is so are we in the WORLD.” Our environment may limit the extent or degree of the appearance of this likeness. Fill a room with smoke and the lights will not appear as bright. Every child of God does abide in Christ – he is like Christ. Oh, but when we actually see Him at his coming for us, we shall be like him as we have never yet been like him.
But what a ghastly contrast is seen the in lives of so many professing Christians. Some are sweet, quiet, generous and giving, while others are loud, obnoxious, cantankerous and obstructive. Christ may have given life to both those people, but He doesn’t take credit for the expression of that life. It is up to us nurture the life that He has planted and to make sure that produces the right kind of flower and fruit.
Only real likeness to Christ enables and prepares us to stand before God.
“We have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 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.” There is only one way to become a child of God – the gracious miracle of God through Christ. We experience the new life which is in Christ through faith. But James reminds us that “talk is cheap” – faith which doesn’t express itself in tangible ways is not genuine. It is easy for us to say that we are “Christians.” Paul speaks about lives full of wood, hay and stubble. After the necessity of God-given life, it is character which will mean something at the bema judgment.
And Christian character is not man-made – it is Christ in us, the hope of glory. Taking Paul’s words out of another context – “In Him Christ we live and move and have our being.” Christ-likeness comes about through the operation of the Holy Spirit in us.
It behooves us to stop and consider from time to time the expression of our lives. If Christ-likeness is an indication of my salvation, do I have any reason to be bold in the day of judgment? I’m not going to suggest that this is anything more than coincidental. But the word translated “judgment” in this verse is “krisis”’ (kree’-sis). It speaks of a separation, the dividing of the sheep from the goats, or the wood hay and stubble from the silver and gold. Every judgment day is a day of crisis, and perhaps every crisis has a separating effect. Christ-likeness is the key to confidence in those moments of judgment – crisis – both the little daily varieties, and that one when we shall all stand before our Saviour.