“In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him.”

How about walking with Jesus so closely and communing with Him so nearly that we become just like Him? Surely this is the desire of the heart of the Christian who has been found of Christ and who now seeks Him. To be like Jesus is our greatest assurance and sense of hope on that last great day of judgment. We are safe in Christ and the Great White Throne has no fear for the believer. All judgment is past since Jesus has died and the price of our sin is paid.

“He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only born Son of God.”

John 3:18

Our love for our redeemer Saviour holds us fast and as we grow in that love so also we grow in assurance and hope. As we study the Scripture and know Christ deeper, so our sense of His abiding presence grows. As we realise increasingly what Christ has done for us personally, so our love for Him grows. Love is refined and perfected in our heart and this extends to other people as well. We become more settled in our character and more tolerant of the needs of other people rather than ourselves.

This should be our Christian walk with God and our daily testimony wherever we find ourselves. We are suitable for all situations, for the Lord is with us and we have full confidence in His love.

Our love will fail, but we can get stronger as we draw close. We practice our love among our sisters and brothers in Christ and so relationships grow and it pleases the Lord. This is a key message in this epistle – that we love each other and become increasingly Christlike.