Abiding in Christ and Him in Us

“By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1 John 4:13-21 ESV)

Now, I cannot write about the whole book of 1 John in one writing, so I am going to encourage you, my readers, to please read the whole book before you form any opinions on what this section of Scripture is teaching, for this  has to agree with the book as a whole unit. So, to recap:

If we claim that we are in fellowship with God/Christ, but while we walk (in conduct, in practice) in darkness (sin), we are liars. For it is only if we walk (in conduct, in purpose) in the light (Jesus Christ, the gospel, righteousness, obedience to God) that we are in true fellowship with God and with the body of Christ, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. And if we say that we know God, but we are not keeping (obeying) his commandments (New Covenant), then we are liars. For whoever keeps (obeys) God’s word, in him/her the love of God truly is perfected (1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6).

For Jesus Christ died on that cross that we might die to sin and live to his righteousness, and that we might live for him and no longer for self. For he shed his blood for us to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin, so that we might now walk in obedience to his commands in holy living, and no longer in sin. But if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to our Lord, and not righteousness (holy living), then we don’t know God, we are not born of God, and we do not have eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips profess. For lip service does not save anyone.

[1 Peter 2:24; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15,21; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 5:3-6; Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; 1 John 3:4-10]

Okay, so with that understanding we can read this present section of Scripture in 1 John 4:13-21. For, just because someone professes faith in Jesus Christ and/or acknowledges what Jesus did for us in dying on that cross for our sins and/or prays a prayer “to receive Jesus Christ into his heart,” it doesn’t mean that he has been given the Spirit of God, and therefore it automatically dictates that he is abiding in Christ, and Christ in him. For abiding in Christ is something we are instructed to do in the Scriptures, and it results in us dying to sin and obeying our Lord.

Also, this word “confesses” has a much deeper meaning than just verbalizing faith in Jesus Christ with our lips. It means to promise, to agree with God, and to speak to the same conclusion as God about our sin, i.e. to be in full agreement with the Lord regarding our sin and what Jesus did on that cross for our sins and what is required of us in order for us to have forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God. So this means we willingly surrender our lives to Jesus Christ to die to our sins and to now obey his commands, in practice. For Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

*See noted Scriptures above

So, if we are abiding in Christ we are living in him and him in us, and we are following him in obedience to his commands in holy living, and we are no longer living in deliberate and habitual sin against our Lord. And it means that we are continuing in those walks of faith until the very end so that we have the hope of salvation from sin and eternal life with God. It doesn’t mean we are perfect, but that we are making death to sin and living to God and to his righteousness our practice, and sin is no longer our practice. But all this can only take place because of God’s grace to us, and in his power.

*See noted Scriptures above

Now we get to the meat of the matter when it says, “whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” For this is agápē love which centers in moral preference, and which prefers what God prefers, which is all that is holy, just, righteous, upright, morally pure, honest, faithful, and obedient to our Lord and to his commands. And if we are abiding in this love, we are remaining and continuing and living in that agápē love, as a matter of life choice and life practice, by the grace of God, in the power of God. So we are following our Lord in obedience and we are no longer living in sin.

So, we have to be continuing in this agápē love, in practice, in how we love and serve and obey the Lord and in how we love our fellow humans and serve them, too. This has to be how we live, in practice. And this is perfected by Jesus Christ as we walk in faith in him on a day to day basis. And faith in Jesus Christ is shown to be genuine by our obedience to our Lord and by us dying with him to sin daily. And then we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as Jesus is so we also are to be in the world, in character, which is a process of being perfected in Christ via obeying him.

So, if we are walking in faithful obedience to our Lord, but not necessarily in absolute perfection, but as a matter of daily practice and living (abiding) in him, then we have no reason to fear hell or punishment for sin. But if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to our Lord, and if we hate our fellow humans while we claim that we love God, then we do not have God’s love abiding in us, and so we do not know God, and we do not have forgiveness and salvation from sin, and we do not have the promise of eternal life with God. So, please take these words to heart.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Peter 1:15; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Hebrews 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

Love Must Be Genuine 

An Original Work / October 22, 2013

Based off Romans 12:9-21

Love must be genuine.

Hate what’s evil; cling to good.

Love each other with affection.

Show respect for ev’ryone.

Never lack in your zeal.

Serve the Lord with diligence.

Rejoice in steadfast hope.

In affliction, patient be.

Keep on praying; share with others.

Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute.

Feel with others sympathy.

Be not filled with conceit.

Daily sit at Jesus’ feet.

Live in harmony with others.

Live at peace with ev’ryone.

Repay not to someone

With the evil he begot.

Do not take your revenge;

Leave it to the wrath of God.

If your enemy is thirsty,

Give to him something to drink.

Do what’s right for mankind.

Evil: overcome with good.

https://vimeo.com/114695549