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. 1 John 4:17 (NKJV)
It’s easy to get caught up with trying to fit in, even at church. When we try hard to follow all the rules—both spoken and unspoken—we might even start to think that God loves the rule-followers more. The trouble is, this kind of focus leads either to pride or condemnation. If we feel like we’re better than others at following the rules, we get proud. If we feel like we don’t measure up, we feel condemned.
I’m not saying that these “rules” are bad. Some may just be cultural preferences that have nothing to do with God’s Word, but others are based on God’s principles, and following them leads to living your best life. Sin wreaks havoc in our lives, so the positive peer-pressure we get at church to follow God’s ways can be a very good thing. But we have to remember that
our relationship with God is not based on our relationship with God is not based on our behaviour. It’s based on Christ.
If you’ve given your life to Jesus Christ, today’s verse says that as He is, so are we in this world. In other words, when God looks at you, He sees Jesus’s perfect record because Christ is “the atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 2:2).
So, whether you’re a believer who feels like you’re doing great when it comes to following God’s principles or you’re still a work in progress, God looks at you with the same level of love and acceptance.
God loves and accepts you, and He’s empowering you to follow His ways so you can live the best life possible!