God's Love Demonstrated (1 John 4:14-16)

Spiritual Diary FOR 12/19/2004

 

My Worship Time:                                                                                        Focus:  Love

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1John 4:14-16

 

            Message of the verse:  “14.  We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.  15.  Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  16.  We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”  (NASB95)  “14. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  15.  All who proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.  16.  We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in him. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.”  (NLT) 

            In verse 14 John is writing about how God demonstrated his love for the world by sending His Son to die on the cross so that He provided salvation for those who would believe in this act of love being done for them.  Once a person accepts this act of love then confesses the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord then God abides or dwells in them in the person of the Holy Spirit for as long as they live on this earth, for the Holy Spirit will not leave them, even though at times they may grieve Him because of sin in their lives.

            In this section John uses the word “abide” or “dwell” six times, and it is used three times in verse 16.  The NASB Greek definition of this word is as follows: “to stay, abide, remain.”   God will always abide with us, for His Word makes that clear, but we as believers need to abide in His love, and as we do this then we will love God more by demonstrating His love to other believers and also to the lost, and even to our enemies.  God dwelling in believers is how He is seen in the world today.  The world will see how believers love each other and also how they love the lost and this is what will attract them to God, and how they can see God in the world today.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I believe that this section of John is the very heart of the Christian life and how the Christian life should be lived, and that is in the center of it is “God is Love.” 

 

The Word of God was convicting to my heart and it was also full of instruction.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To understand more about the love of God, and to grow in the love of God, and to Grow in the knowledge of God.