Dwelling in Him
View daily reading plan: 1 John 4.13-16
Another assurance of the amazing truth that we are “in God” and He is “in us” is that “he hath given us of his Spirit”. The phrase “of his Spirit” must mean that God has given us the characteristics of the Holy Spirit, the moral qualities that stem from His action in our lives including the capacity to love our brethren.
Again, John speaks from his personal knowledge of Christ and his observance of Him during “the days of his flesh” and makes a resounding statement of his personal persuasion about the purpose for which the Son was sent: “to be the Saviour of the world”. The title “the Saviour of the world” must be regarded as a term expressing potential. “Whosoever” suggests that it is open to all, but for God to abide in a man he must make confession “that Jesus is the Son of God”. This is an acknowledgement of His deity.
John expresses a confidence that God has love in us (v.16, RV). True, God has displayed love to us (AV), but the Greek preposition en seems to indicate that because “God is love”, and that such a God dwells within us, then the love associated with Him is also resident within us. “God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in Him”.
Monday, 13 May, 2024