It is in the future, and as with all future events, they suddenly come upon us before we know it. Will we be paralysed with fear or confidant that all will be well. In the last analysis this is the most important question of all. The apostle John who is full of love, wants us to have such confidence, and he asserts, in the words of this text, that perfect love will give us boldness on the Say of Judgement. Let us examine this statement more closely because on its own it may appear very vague.
Human love is very limited and often mean.
We find it easy to love those who love us, but even with the grace of GOD in our hearts, to love those who are our enemies is hard. We can understand this as human beings. We know what it is to show love to those who love us, and if GOD were to show us HIS love, we should respond. This word propitiation' is a wealthy, precious word, unlocking the meaning of GOD's love to us. It is rather GOD in eternity, seeing what sin would do to us, ordaining a way for us to be saved, and deciding to send HIS SON in the fulness of time to be our propitiation.