I teach an Adult Bible Community at Thomas Road Baptist Church called the G.A.P. (for Graduates and Professionals), and each week I post the outlines and discussion questions from my lessons on the G.A.P. page on Facebook. A while back I started posting these notes on the blog too. So, here is the outline for our meetings on April 10-17, 2011. A while back we started a new series on 1 John entitled "Theology Matters." This lesson looks at 1 John 4:13-16 and discusses the idea that Christians abide in God while God abides in them. This abiding reveals itself in three ways: knowledge, confession, and love. By the presence of God's Spirit, the Christian knows and has assurance of God's abiding presence. That same Spirit enables us to confess the truth about God and His Son. God gave His Son as Savior, and as we experience salvation we abide in God's love. As we abide in God's love, we need to be aware of and to share the love that God has given to us in Christ. When we love others, we give a living example of the love Jesus showed in the cross. If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!
God’s Abiding Presence
1 John 4:13-16
Theology Matters Series
Introduction
My childhood
When I was a kid, we lived on a road named “Doris Circle”
It was a typical rural small town neighborhood, but all of the children defined themselves and their neighbors by their house and yard
We had the “rich” family with the big house, the family with the yard perfect for football, the yard with trees perfect for climbing
We also understood that our family background in many ways defined us
No doubt many of you have similar experiences
You remember the “messy” neighbor or the folks from the “wrong side of the tracks” or the ones who were dependable
Maybe your family was defined by your dwelling place
In 1 John 4, John tells his readers that they are also defined by where they dwell
Where they abide and what abides in them defines them as Christians
The past two weeks we discussed how John defines love as one measure of a Christ follower
1. We looked at love’s divine character
2. We saw that love is defined by Jesus’ sacrifice
3. We noticed that the results of love are revealed in how we love others
Verse 12 summed it up by noting that God’s love is perfected in us when we love one another
That is, by loving others we reveal God and his character
In today’s passage, 1 John 4:13-16, God continues this theme by looking at God’s abiding presence and its results in the lives of believers
In this passage, John uses “know” twice—v. 13 and v. 16
He uses “abide” five times—v. 13, v. 15, v. 16 (three times)
We find the idea of “abides in God and God in him”—3 times
Those who “dwell” in God and in whom God “dwells” have three characteristics that reveal God’s abiding presence:
1. Knowledge
2. Confession
3. Love
God’s abiding presence is revealed in us and defines us
1. Knowledge
1 John 4:13—John begins this section by offering yet another word of assurance to his readers. John describes this assurance as a matter of knowledge (a knowledge that includes an intimate and informed relationship and experience). Here are some examples of John’s use of this idea:
2:3: “By this we know that we have come to know Him….”
2:5b: “By this we know that we are in Him….”
2:13: “… you know Him who has been from the beginning.”
2:13b: “… you know the Father.”
2:20: “… you all know.”
3:10: “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious….”
3:14: “We know that we have passed out of death into life….”
3:19: “We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him….”
3:24b: “We know by this that He abides in us….”
4:2: “By this you know the Spirit of God….”
4:6b: “By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
5:2: By this we know that we love the children of God….”
5:13: These things I have written … so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Apparently John puts a high premium on assurance of salvation resulting from this kind of intimate and informed knowledge as he addresses it again here
John says, “We know we dwell with God and enjoy his presence in us because he has given us his Spirit.”
In Genesis God “walked” with his people
In Exodus God lived among them
Now God wants to make his residence in them—he dwells in them
John’s statement here says more than “we have the inner witness of God’s Spirit” (although I am sure John would agree with that statement)
Rather, John’s point here is that we know God because he has taken up residence in us
As Peter puts it, he has made us partakers of his divine nature by his divine power so that we can live the way he intends (2 Peter 1:3-4)
In other words, God makes his home in us as we make our home in him
The point is that we can know God because he has made his dwelling place in us
His Spirit in us is the evidence of his taking up residence in us
We know God because we know his Spirit
So, how do we know that we have God’s Spirit?
First, let’s define what it is not
It is not some extraordinary experience like the gift of tongues or some mystical thing
On the other hand, we know God’s Spirit is in us if we bear some resemblance to God in how we live
Are we concerned about the things that concern God?
Do we run to sin or run from sin? Do we have a sense of ourselves as sinners in comparison to God?
Do we love the things God loves?
Do we see the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) in your life?
Do we hunger for godly things
If God’s Spirit is in us, we know we are in God
God’s abiding presence is revealed in knowing God’s Spirit
2. Confession
1 John 4:14-15—Now John points out that the Christian abides in God and God abides in the Christian when we confess the truth about Jesus
John notes that “we have seen and testify” in v. 14. This takes us back to 1 John 1:1-3 where John explains that his testimony is accurate because it is an eyewitness testimony
This refers to the apostolic witness (cf. 2 Peter 1:16)
This grounds our confession in a historical reliability
This testimony, this confession is not mere myth or just good stories
John says that it is reliable and time tested—it can be trusted
The content of this confession involves two relationships
a. Jesus’ relationship to the world
b. Jesus’ relationship to God
Jesus’ relationship to the world is stated clearly here and in 1 John 2:1-2 and 4:9-10
Simply stated, Jesus is the Savior of the world
He is the atoning sacrifice for a lost and sinful world
This does not mean that all of the world is saved, rather that the means of salvation has been provided for all
Jesus’ relationship to God is described as
God the Father sends Jesus to be Savior—this shows that Jesus and the Father have an ongoing relationship and that Jesus does what the Father wants
Jesus is the Son of God—this speaks to Jesus’ eternal divinity
John is saying that all of those who accept the apostolic testimony regarding Jesus as Savior of the world and who further confess that Jesus is God’s Son have God’s abiding presence and dwell in God
To “confess” means to agree with or to “say the same as”
This confession is not mere mental assent, it is a reliance upon Jesus that results in faithful living on our part
John is saying that confessing that Jesus is the only means of salvation, trusting in his divinity as the means of a true relationship with God, and serving him as Lord or Ruler of your life results in God making a home in you and you finding your security and dwelling in him
Romans 10:8-9—the one who trusts God and makes a public confession of his saving ability receives from him what is needed to live the life God has promised—they have eternal and abundant life (John 1:11-14; 3:16-18)
When we confess God’s truth about Jesus, we abide in God
God’s abiding presence is revealed in our confession
3. Love
1 John 4:16—John completes this section by acknowledging that true believers abide in God as they know and trust in his love
Look at the order here
a. We know and believe the love God has for us
b. God is love
c. If we abide in love, we abide in God
John is not saying that loving people (i.e., those who are loving in general) are automatically Christians
Rather he is saying that Christ followers begin with an intimate and informed relationship with God (i.e., they “know” him) and they put their trust in God and in his love for them
John here uses a perfect tense to describe our knowledge and faith in God’s love for us
That indicates that there is a past experience or action that results in ongoing results
We have known and continue to know—we have believed and continue to believe
This is a knowledge and faith based on evidence and historical reality—it is not a blind faith—faith is based on knowledge
John mentions the love God has for us and reiterates “God is love.” (cf. 1 John 4:8)
As we stated regarding the earlier section of chapter 4, the statement that “God is love” is a reference to God’s character.
God’s character is revealed in God’s acts
God loved us (and the world) by giving Jesus as our atoning sacrifice
God’s love is expressed in what he gives
When we know and trust in that love, it changes us
John notes that knowing and trusting in God’s love is evidenced by a life of love—i.e., we abide or make our dwelling in love
The idea here is that a Christ follower is changed by the love of God and begins to live a life defined by that love (cf. Gal. 2:20)
If God’s love is at work in us, then it should work through us in how we treat others
Referring back to our earlier point—if God’s love and God’s Spirit dwell in us, then how we live our lives should exhibit their presence
If I am not loving as God loves, I probably do not know God’s love
If I love as God loves, I apparently know God’s love
That is John’s point
God’s abiding presence is revealed by how we love
His presence is revealed in our love for him
His presence is revealed in our love for others
Application
God’s abiding presence is revealed in us by our knowledge of his Spirit, by our confession of his Son, and by our experience and sharing of his love
When we as believers abide in God, we participate in his Spirit, his Truth (Jesus), and his love
Our lives then ought to show the reality of these things as we live by his abiding presence
How can we respond to these truths? What can we do this week to show that we abide in God and that he abides in us?
First, remember that John emphasizes the reciprocal, enduring relationship we have with God. The ability to live in his love is granted to us by his presence in us. Spend time with him so that you will grow in your knowledge of him. Make this a priority each day.
Since we are human, there are ebbs and flows in our relationships, even with God. What can you do to reinvigorate your relationship with God? This week look for things that will encourage a personal pursuit of God. This may include taking time to enjoy God’s love in creation. Maybe you could look for opportunities to encourage a discouraged friend. One thing you can do is to practice your confession. This week, tell someone else what you have come to know about God.
Finally, John also describes how God shows His love to us. Take some time to make notes about what a mutual love relationship with the God of the universe should look like. Read 1 John 4 again and note how God loves us. Share your findings with someone who is a believer and with someone who is not. Take some time each day this week to list one thing you have done or can do as a direct act of love back toward God. Write down one thing God has done for you, and then write down what you can do to show that love to another person (see the list from the last lesson for some ideas). If you are feeling bold, actually go out and do that thing!
God’s abiding presence is revealed in us as we know him, confess his truth, and share his love
How are we doing? Where are we abiding?
Thanks for reading!
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