1 John 4:15, 16 says,...

Today's verses are 1 John 4:15, 16, which read,

v.15 - Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

"confesses" - "to agree with" but it also has an element of speech and also a gathering of others

We gather together with others who also agree with God that Jesus is the Son of God and we voice this agreement.  I guess I dragged that out so that we could see that this is a personal relationship with God but it is not private.  It is to be spoken and it is to be spoken in assembly of others who also confess that Jesus is the Son of God.  I think what I am saying is from the word "confess" is that genuine Christian not only has this very unique relationship with Jesus but also a unique relationship with other genuine Christians.

v.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.

John goes into the plural form here with the pronoun "we."  This is something that is held by more than one.  There is a gathering of those who "believe" what?  To "believe" is to be persuaded to a conviction of a truth that you are holding onto with confidence.  

What is this group persuaded of to hold as a conviction of the truth with great confidence?

1.  God loves us. 
2.  God is love. 
3.  If we hold that definition of love then we abide in who God is and God holds residence in us.

The definition of love is crucial here that it is God.  John states it again to make a point.  We are not to separate love from God and God from love.  

"Lord, as I gather together with others who hold to the love of You and that You are love, I pray that we would sense the uniqueness of this moment and activity of worship.  Church is a gathering of transformed lives coming together in a central place to voice our love for the One who is love.  Amen."

Pastor Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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