Glory to God who has been our help and strength. Indeed, God has been faithful. The Lord through the scripture has been speaking to us for quite a while now as to how we are to live as believers and many of the things expected of us too. The book of 1 John has been that helpful to us, hasn't it?
Yes, of course. It has revealed to us the nature of God and how we are to live having known who God is. This is important because we are to show not just by our words but also by our lives that we are children of God of a truth. Today, we shall be considering the concluding verses in chapter four of 1 John and I trust the Lord to bless your hearts as he did in previous studies. Shall we examine the passage of scripture below?
"Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. [14] And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. [15] Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. [16] And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. [17] Herein is our love made perfect, 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 casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. [19] We love him, because he first loved us. [20] If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? [21] And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also". (1 John 4:13-21)
How do we know that we dwell in God and that he dwells in us to start with? The scripture says that is possible because God has given us his Spirit. His Spirit in us therefore bears witness to the fact that he is in us and that we are in him. Indeed we have seen and by the truth of scripture believed that God the Father sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world. If so, what should be the response of people and the implication of that response in a positive sense?
What is expected of people is that they should confess Jesus as the Son of God such that God dwells in them and them in God. This has shown to us with no mincing of words what love God has towards us (that he for our sakes would give his only begotten Son). God indeed is love and he who dwells in God dwells in love.
What is expected of us as believers? That as he is so are we in this world, not in form but in likeness. We should show to people who God is by the lives we live. Having known therefore that God is love, we are to live like him a life of love. This is just the truth. Another thing expected of us is that if we say we love God, we must by proof show that we do really love God and that would mean loving others. He who loves God or claims to must also love his brother. This is the commandment we have from him and this is what is expected of us to do. The Lord help us to be doers of his word in Jesus' name. Amen.
Thought for the day: How can a man who hates his brother whom he sees daily claim to love God whom he has never seen? If you indeed love God as you claim, shouldn't you love your fellow brother as well? Is this not what he commands you to do?
Gospel Today is a comforting, exhorting, edifying and inspiring devotional published by the Delightsome Land Christian Ministry. For questions, enquiries/testimonies, please call/WhatsApp: 08174915361, 08053662272 or Email: [email protected].
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