S143P5 – The fruit of truth: perfected love
1Jn. 2:4-6
Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
Baking is not like cooking. You can get away with a lot more when cooking. I do not believe I have ever followed a recipe or strict instructions when making pasta sauce or soup or a whole host of other regular dishes. I throw things in and see what works. It might not turn out the same every time, but that is fine. It still satisfies, and I am still alive to tell about it. Baking, however, is much different. I have tried baking without everything required by a recipe, and each time it was a disaster. None of those recipes turned out the way they should have. In order to get the finished product I wanted, I had to put in all of the right ingredients in the right measure.
If we want to see God’s love perfected in us, we need the right ingredients. One of those ingredients is truth. We must live in the truth and according to the truth. Obedience to God is a matter of both desire and ability. When we allow God’s love to be perfected in us, both will come. Obedience is the sign of the one who abides in God’s truth and is allowing his love to be perfected within. When we try to add other things to the mix, when we forego the truth in this way and that, we create obstacles to this process. That which is good, holy, righteous and godly is what we need in this recipe. That which is dark, evil and deceptive will only corrupt the great things God wants to create in us.
The bible gives us many instructions regarding how to build ourselves spiritually. It really is like a cookbook of sorts. In all of these spiritual recipes, truth is an ingredient. We live according to not only the truth of Christ’s message but also the truth of his life. He did what He said; He lived what He taught. He lived according to truth, and the Father’s love certainly was perfected in him. If we want that result and the proof which follows it, we must live according to truth. The desire and ability to obey the Lord cannot be within us otherwise. Father, keep us living according to the truth of Christ’s life, and remove any obstacles keeping your love from being perfected in us.