Perfect Love
- Henley Samuel
- Oct 16
- 5 min read
October 16, 2025
Today, let's explore the profound truth of God's perfect love. When we truly understand how deeply we are loved by our Father, fear dissolves and we experience a peace that surpasses understanding.
The Father's Delight
In Zephaniah, we find a beautiful promise about God's presence and love:
"In that day it will be said to Jerusalem do not be afraid oh Zion do not let your hands fall limp. The Lord your God is in your midst a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will be quiet in his love making no mention of your past sins. He will rejoice over you with shouts of Joy." - Zephaniah 3:16-17
This prophecy speaks directly to us today. Jerusalem represents God's people, and we're told to "cheer up" and "don't be afraid." Why? Because the Lord our God is living among us. This is the meaning of Emmanuel: God with us.
God lives among us, within us, and for us. He is our mighty Savior who takes delight in us with gladness. His love calms all our fears.
Seeing Through Broken Mirrors
Our perspective of God often becomes distorted because of sin. Think about your school days. When you made a mistake, did you run from your teachers even when they were trying to help? Similarly, after sin entered the Garden of Eden, Adam hid when God approached.
Before sin, Adam and God enjoyed fellowship in the cool of the day, but afterward, Adam couldn't face God with a clear heart. Sin changed his perspective, like looking through a broken mirror where the image is fragmented and distorted.
This broken perspective affects how we see God. Instead of seeing a loving Father, we see someone to fear, someone who might punish us. The enemy wants to maintain this distorted view.
Religion vs. Relationship
Most religions around the world teach that humans must sacrifice something to appease an angry deity. But Christianity reveals something revolutionary: a loving Father who gave His own Son as a sacrifice for us.
"For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son, so that you will have an everlasting life." - John 3:16
When Abraham went to Mount Moriah, Isaac asked, "Where is the sacrifice?" Abraham prophetically replied, "The Lord provides the sacrifice." This foreshadowed what God would do through Jesus.
Love Revealed in Jesus
God has tried to explain His love to humanity in various ways through His law, through prophets, through messengers. Yet nothing fully conveyed His heart until Jesus came.
"By this the love of God was displayed in us, in that God has sent His one and only begotten Son, the one who is truly unique, into the world so that we might live through Him." - 1 John 4:9
Without Jesus, we could never have understood the depth of God's love. He is the perfect expression of the Father's heart.
"In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His son to be the pleasing sacrificial offering to take away our sins." - 1 John 4:10
God loved us long before we loved Him. He proved it through sacrifice. Every time you remember Jesus, you're reminded that God is love.
God Is Love
The Bible doesn't just say that God has love or that love is one of His attributes. It declares something much more profound:
"The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God, does not and never did know him, for God is love." - 1 John 4:8
This isn't just one of God's characteristics it's His very essence. He's not just your God; He's your loving Father. You are His beloved child, and He rejoices over you.
Perfect Love Casts Out Fear
When we truly understand God's love, something remarkable happens fear begins to dissolve.
"There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced this perfect love." - 1 John 4:18
If you still fear punishment or judgment from God, you haven't yet fully grasped His perfect love. Like a student fearing a teacher who only wants to help, we sometimes misinterpret God's intentions.
Today is the day to change how you think about your Father. You can say, "Lord, forgive me. Now I know that you are my loving Father. You love me so much."
Healing Through Love
As you experience God's love, healing naturally follows. His love flows through every part of your being, restoring what was broken and creating what is needed.
When Jesus saw the woman who had been bent over for eighteen years, His heart was moved with compassion:
"When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, 'Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.'" - Luke 13:12
Just as Jesus released this woman from her bondage, His love releases us from whatever holds us captive. This isn't religion it's relationship with a Father who delights in you.
Conclusion
Today, embrace this truth: you have a loving Father who delights in you. You are not seeing Him through broken mirrors anymore but face to face through Jesus Christ. As you experience His perfect love, let it cast out every fear and bring healing to every part of your life.
His love isn't based on your performance but on His character. You were created to receive and experience this love. Let it transform how you pray, how you face challenges, and how you see yourself. You are deeply, perfectly loved.
Reflect on This
In what areas of your life do you still view God as a judge rather than a loving Father? How might your perspective change if you truly believed in His perfect love?
How would your approach to prayer and facing challenges change if you were completely convinced that God delights in you and rejoices over you?
Prayer
Father, I thank You for revealing Your love through Jesus. I declare that I am Your beloved child, and You delight in me. Your perfect love casts out all my fears. I no longer see You through broken mirrors but face to face through Christ. Thank You for loving me before I loved You. I receive Your healing love in every area of my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Key Takeaways
God is love this is His essence, not just one of His attributes.
Jesus is the perfect expression of God's love for humanity.
Perfect love casts out fear; if you fear punishment, you haven't fully grasped God's love.
God delights in you and rejoices over you with shouts of joy.
Understanding God's love transforms how you pray and face challenges.
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To dive deeper into this powerful message, watch the full sermon on our YouTube video below.
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