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"In this hath been perfected love with us (. . . .) that as He is, so are we in this world."
God's love to us is perfected in this, that the believer be as His Lord. God has
revealed nothing higher than this throughout the Scriptures. Every grace-taught believer
echoes the words of the Psalmist in Psa. 17: 15, "I shall be satisfied, when I awake,
with Thy likeness".
"We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him" (I John 3: 2).
"AS HE IS--WE ARE" (4: 17).
"AS HE IS--WE SHALL BE" (3: 2).
What is to be the outcome of such a blessed position?
"Every one that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even AS HE IS pure" (3: 3).
"If ye know that HE IS righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is
born of Him" (2: 29).
By comparing 4: 17 with 2: 5, 6, it will be seen that God's love to us and our love
to God meet together in the same goal, viz., likeness to the Lord Jesus. The believer's
love urges him continually to seek closer conformity to the likeness of Christ, and God's
love has fixed nothing less as the goal and glory of redemption. We will quote 2: 5, 6:--
"But whoso keepeth His word, truly in this one the love of God has been perfected.
By this we know that we are in Him. He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also
so to walk, as He walked."
Here then is the balancing teaching of the Word.
AS HE IS--we are.
AS HE IS--we shall be.
AS HE WALKED--let us walk.