(Continued from p.210)

Thus far we have seen that the Source of Love is in God. That the manifestation of that love was at the cross. That sinners, who loved not God but were dead in their sins and guilty in His sight, were the subjects of that love. Now let us ask ourselves whether we can join with the apostle and say. "We have

KNOWN AND BELIEVED THE LOVE

that God hath to us." Have we in simple faith, taking our place as unworthy of anything but the righteous judgment of God, believed on His dear Son whom He sent to be our Saviour? God would have all men to be saved, this is His desire. He "so loved the world" as we have seen. Therefore the blessing is for "whosoever believeth" on His dear Son. "The world" takes you in, so do not miss so great salvation. If you do you will have but yourself to blame.

If the love of God is known and believed in, it produces many glorious conclusions. With three of these we may engage our thoughts for a little.

RESULTS OF KNOWING AND BELIEVING THE LOVE OF GOD

We have boldness in the day of judgment. There is "the wrath to come." But the believer has learned that for him the judgment is past. He will never come into judgment. At the cross the judgment due to us who believe fell on the holy spotless Son of God, who had been given in the love of God to meet our deep, deep need. The dread cup of wrath was drained by Him there. There He cried "IT IS FINISHED." The great work was completed which was necessary if we were to be freed. Now He is risen, He is beyond the judgment and we share with Him His place before God. "As He is so are we in this world." Wonderful words are these, "As He is so are we," Not as He was in His perfect life here. Not as He was when bearing our sins in His own body on the tree, and "made sin for us, He who knew no sin." No! but as He is now, beyond death and judgment. A simple illustration may help. A shepherd and his boy were employed in burning the long rank grass on a hillside. This was in order that the tender shoots might have room to spring up for the pasture of their sheep. The boy had thrown his coat down on the hillside, but, as the flames of the lighted grass were fanned by the breeze and crept upwards, the garment became endangered. So the lad running to it threw it further up the hill. But still the fire pressed forward and again the coat was in peril. The boy ran to it, intending to throw it still further up the slope, when his father called to him, saying, "Bring the coat this side of the flames, boy." That was done and the garment was now on the side where the fire had done its work. So today the Christian stands hi Christ in the presence of God, in Christ as He now is, and he may rejoice and say, "There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." An old Christian rejoicing in the truth spoken of used to say,

"John's nine monosyllables all of a row
Are my delight and my comfort while here I'm below."

He knew where the love of God had set him and basked in the sunshine of it day by day, often saying to his fellow-believers, "Sit still now and let the Lord love you."

It is God's love and not ours which brings about this blessed result. "Herein is love with us made perfect, (as we should read it), that we should have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is so are we in this world." Let us notice that it is while "in this world" that this is true of us. It will be true of us when we are with Christ in His glory but it is true now. Let us revel in the light and warmth of this glorious truth.

Another of the results of knowing and believing the love of God is that

PERFECT LOVE CASTETH OUT FEAR

All our servile fear of God which led us to seek to flee from His presence is dismissed for ever. Instead of being like Adam, when he had sinned, trying to hide from God, we, knowing the love of God, hide in Him. He Himself has become our refuge.

"The trembling sinner feareth
That God can ne'er forget;
But one full payment cleareth
His memory from all debt.
When nought beside could ease us,
Or set our souls at large,
Thy holy work, Lord Jesus,
Secured a full discharge.

No wrath God's heart retaineth
To usward who believe;
No dread in ours remaineth
As we His love receive;
Returning sons He kisses,
And with His robe invests;
His perfect love dismisses
All terror from our breasts.

While all servile fear is gone there is formed a filial fear, a fear of doing anything displeasing to our God and Father who has so loved us. We are now His children, part of His family and as such we are called to conduct ourselves.

A third result of knowing and believing the love of God is that

"WE LOVE HIM BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US."

Our love is the outcome of His love to us. He has loved us into loving Him. He has given us a new nature. He has given to us a new power, the Holy Spirit, and the "the fruit of the Spirit is love" and much else. We who once hated God and one another are taught of God to love and to love after the pattern He has set us. Thus the love of God flows through us to others.
It has flowed down from Him. It has flowed by way of Calvary to us. It has flowed into our hearts. Now it flows back to Him in that we love Him. And it flows out to all who are His and then out to the world at large as we testify that "the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." "He loved." "We love because He first loved us."

The story of the love of God may well lead us to praise and worship and devoted service while we wait for the consummation of that love in placing us before Him in His home of love for ever. Inglis Fleming