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.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Connect a bit of Scripture with a bit of life - Spurgeon

     I heard this phrase today along with another that if you connect a bit of Scripture with a bit of life, it will end up effecting all of your life.  This came up in my study of the book of James and specifically the verses dealing with not just being a hearer of the Word but also be a doer of the Word.  It is all about application.  I can't look at preaching the Word without giving steps of applying the Word.  It really is an incomplete sermon if I don't.      Many times I think it has to be big and many points and given cute aliteration that makes it snappy and I think easy to remember and fun to write down.  Reality is, if I would make it a bit of Scripture connected to a bit of life and just that it would probably accomplish much more.  How much time I spend on the opening statement and lame joke and research and introductions and how many points and the closing statement and so little time on connecting the bit of Scripture to the bit of life.      So I guess I ha
Read more

Galatians #15 - Galatians 6:11-18 - "On The Road Again..."

Image
  Another week closer and it involves some more travel for the Wolfgangs.  I feel like the Willy Nelson song, " On the road again... "  I don't know if I agree with the next line though. " ...I can't wait to get on the road again. " One of the members of the church in Wisconsin calculated that I will travel well over 10,000 miles to make this transition.  Traveling mercies prayers please. Last Sunday we will look at Paul's final words to the churches in Galatia.  He brought them the gospel (good news) message of Jesus and what resulted were churches forming throughout the region.  The letter is to defend that message that our salvation comes from and is in Christ alone.  Christ's sacrifice on the cross was sufficient for the forgiveness of our sins.  The summary statement of the letter is found in  Galatians 6:15 (LSB) .  " For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. "  Translated another way earlier in  Ga
Read more

Sermon prep and maybe a video...

     James 4 has brought up some interesting study.  First, "the quarrels and fights among you."  Those are usually worse than you think even though we try to minimize them.  The source is simpler than you think because it is coming from within you.  The solution is easier than you think because the solution that James gives is that we need to humble ourselves before the Lord.  Any sincere resolution is specific and brief.  Beware of lengthy resolutions that usually include explaining it away or excusing some of the behavior.      As I have seen before, the words are a sign of the heart.  I read this week that if we have a critical heart we usually start by speaking evil of another to ourselves.  Then we progress to speaking evil of another to that person with a running tally in our heads of all their wrongs.  Finally, we speak evil of another to others and broadcast in a way that we are thinking that we are helping.  Giving judgment is always easier than giving mercy.  I
Read more