I remember when my sons were very young, probably around 5 and 8 years of age, and they behaved badly while I was away at work. Their mother had tried to reel them in with no success, so she told them their father would deal with them whenever he got home and spent the day embellishing just how much trouble they were in and how seriously they would be punished for it. She embellished it in such a way as to increase their dread of my arrival home. Ordinarily, they would be excited at my arrival home as it meant a loving greeting, a time of fun and play full of smiles and laughter.  But this day was going to be different.

After arriving home, they did not greet me as normal. They were in their room, hoping not to see me.  So, after being briefed by my wife as to how the day went and how, even after they had been warned about what might happen if they did not stop, they continued.  I made my way to their room to address the matter.  When I arrived in their room, I found them sullen and afraid.  My youngest son, standing next to a toy bin, had a look of dread on his face.   When I explained why he must be punished and told him to come near, he frantically took hold of a toy lightsaber from the bin and began waving it in the air.  I asked him what he was doing, and he blurted out, “I must protect myself.” I could not help but bust out laughing, but I had to follow through on helping him understand the importance of obeying his mother when I was away at work.  There was no denying that his fear of punishment led him to act out in an uncharacteristic way towards me.  His mother had so effectively sown a fear of punishment into him that he behaved erratically at that moment.  He definitely did not exhibit any confidence in my love for him at that moment.

I shared that story to set up the point that there is an undeniable power in an unwavering revelation of Christ’s love.  It’s a power that transcends any other form of love we may experience in life. Consider the following passages of Scripture.

1John 4:17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

This phrase, “As He is, so are we in this world,” has been used in different ways for different reasons.

I desire to take it as it is presented in its context here and share what my takeaway is from it.

The context deals with the expectations of a day of judgment and how we are forever changed when we understand and embrace Christ’s love. The terminology “As He is, so are we” speaks of His right, unbroken, and perfect relationship with the Father. There’s no separation between Christ and the Father; they are seated together in oneness of fellowship in heaven.

I wonder if John had Jesus’ prayer in John 17 in mind as he wrote this. In it, Jesus prayed that we would be one with the Father and the Holy Spirit just as He was one with them.

I believe that John is saying that the Father’s love is perfected among us so that we can walk in an uncommon boldness in this world—the kind of relationship boldness Jesus has with the Father right now in heaven.  We get to live free from a sense of pending judgment and separation based on the merit of Christ on our behalf.  We get to walk in the revelation knowledge of our oneness with God and are therefore we are confident and assured in this life that we will never be separated from His love, just as Christ is confident and assured of His relationship right now with the Father.  We can walk assured of our relationship with God!

It’s powerful when someone lives no longer afraid of being cast aside and forgotten because they are so convinced of being loved with everlasting love.   They do not live every day worrying about whether or not they have done something that will bring them to such a final judgment that it will result in their being punished and cast away forever.  They do not live life looking over their shoulder, worried a punisher is pursuing them.  Those without Christ should know such a fear, but those in Christ should not.

Hebrews 2:14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

“As He is” involves walking in relationship confidence, being totally aware of my union with the Father in Christ, being assured of His love, and being free from fear of separation. How well do you know God’s love for you?  Is it with an “As He is” level of revelation?