4:17 Our love becomes complete in the sense that we can now have confidence as we anticipate our day of judgment (i.e., the evaluation of our works at Christ's judgment seat; 1 Cor. 3:12-15; 2 Cor. 5:10). The characteristic of God and Christians in view here is our love. We do not need to fear the judgment seat of Christ if we have demonstrated love to others. By loving we become like Jesus Christ our Judge. Therefore to give love is to gain boldness (confidence).
Here John said God's love reaches perfection "with us"(Gr. meth hamon) whereas in 4:12 he wrote that His love reaches perfection "in us"(Gr. en hamin). When it reaches perfection inus, a proper relationship to other people exists, namely, no hate. When it reaches perfection withus, a proper relationship to God exists, namely, no fear.
As Jesus abode in His Father and consequently had confidence in the face of trials and death, so we can abide in Christ and have confidence in spite of the world's hostility.158Abiding in God gave Jesus confidence, and it gives us confidence too.
4:18 When we love others we have no basis for fear as we anticipate the judgment seat of Christ. The person who loves is, of course, the person over whom God is exercising His controlling influence (i.e., an abiding Christian). A believer who does not love others feels guilty and fears meeting his Judge. This fear is a punishment. His guilty conscience punishes him. A Christian who loves others may have other fears, but he need not fear the judgment seat of Christ. The fact that he loves others demonstrates that his relationship with God is essentially what it should be.
John was using love for God and other people here as he did elsewhere in this epistle (e.g., 2:3-11). He meant that it is the most important manifestation of a proper relationship with God, not the only manifestation.
On the human level only total acceptance of another person will remove the fear in love. For example, in marriage a love relationship that is free of fear is one in which there is a commitment to demonstrate total acceptance of the mate. Total forgiveness is also necessary for a transparent relationship (Eph. 4:31-32).
4:19 Our ability to love and our practice of love come from God's love for us. We need not fear standing before our Judge because we love Him and He loves us. This verse is the climax of the body of this epistle.
"The ultimate ground of Christian assurance (including confidence on the judgment day, v 17) is not to be found in ourloving, however complete' (v 18), but in God's prior love for us . . ."159
Confidence is one of the great consequences of having intimate fellowship with God. We can have confidence now and confidence to meet Jesus Christ when He returns for us or when we die (2:28). Moreover we can have confidence in prayer (3:21-22) and confidence when we stand before His judgment seat to give account of our stewardship (4:17-19).
4:20 A claim to love God is a poor substitute for genuine love of the brethren. Verse 19 left open the possibility of such a claim. John therefore clarified that a claim to love God is not a true demonstration of love. Love for the unseen God will find expression in love for our brethren whom we can see. It is easier to love someone we can see than it is to love someone we cannot see.
