Chapter 4
Verses 12-16:
"No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected 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 the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him."
Verse 12 "No one has seen God at any time..." is much like in John 1:18, except when said in John 1:18 it denotes a different meaning. Speaking in John it speaks of God as not being seen or known, except as He has revealed himself in Christ. Here in 1 John he takes that truth further by saying that the power of God is comprehended by us by faith and by love. "If we love on another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us." Basically it is quite evident that "God abides in us" if by His Spirit we are given the ability to have brotherly love, so then we cannot sincerely have love for the brethren if God's Spirit does abide in us. Referring back to 1 John 3:10b we see, "Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother." Know that this is a evidence of God's indwelling if you love the brethren if you love fellowship with the brethren and if when you see a brother/sister in need you would lay your life down (or show charity) for that person (1 John 3:18).
Verse 13 gives the same connotation but reversing it from "God abides in us" to "we abide in Him," and making the same point.
In verse 14, going back to what I mentioned earlier about the difference in "seeing God" as mention in John 1:18, now John brings up the other side of the knowledge of God, in that He communicated Himself through His Son. "We have seen and testify..." Through this faith and this love we now "see" (not in the literal sense of seeing with your eyes, though John did), but we "see" the Son through our faith in Him. That Jesus really dwells in us and makes Himself visible in us by His power.
"Savior of the World..." (cf. John 3:17), the word "world" of course is an interesting word in the Bible that I would like to go into deeper at some point. But for now we must not consider this to be the literal translation of "every single person on the face of the planet," for it is obvious that not all are saved. It must be accepted here and in many other places in the Bible as all tounges, tribes and nations with no partiality (to Isreal, as it was).
Verse 15, "Whosoeve shall confess..." This is not to say that all men who confess are children of God, there are many who would profess their faith in Christ, such as about 90% of my university and probably about the same anywhere you go in America. Everyone has their idea of who Christ is, except more times than not it isn't the Biblical Christ, the only one that has the power to save your soul. "Confession" and "faith" go hand in hand here, in Romans 10:9 Paul states something similar, "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (emphasis added). That emphasis isn't exactly something to be taken lightly, this isn't just a few words and a walk down an aisle.
From verse 15 one gets the idea that to have faith in Jesus, or to "confess that Jesus is the Son of God..." causes God to "abide in" you and you "in God." And if this is true then "God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him" (vv.16). So then love must ought to reign in us, since God unites himself to us.
Citation:
*John Calvin commentaries on 1 John
*NKJV Reformation Study Bible (1 John)
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Love is a good evidence of God. I would make the claim that it is impossible for a non-believer, who is true to his world-view, to be benevolent toward another. There is no logical reason for it unless you believe in a God. And of those who do believe in a God, most are trying to earn His favour by doing these good deeds toward another, and all of these are repugnant in the sight of God. However, a Christian's works are accepted on Christ's behalf and are pleasing in God's sight, and He gives them the attitude and desire to do these things in a manner that is pleasing to Him. The same action with different purposes (one to glorify myself and the other to glorify God) are completely different in the eyes of God. I'd maintain that we can't truly be doing good things out of love unless God quickens our hearts.
Confession is an interesting thing. Some people believe that as long as you say "Jesus died on the cross" then you are a believer, such a thing is nonsense! If I were to say "I am a frog" would that make me one? Or if I said "I ran around the world this morning" would that mean that I did? To merely say something, as though it were a magical incantation, would be to take meaning out of words. No, rather the Christian confession is something that is deep-felt in his nature and the words come out almost of their own accord, he can't help but confess that Jesus Christ is his Lord, because he believes it, he relies upon it, he rejoices in it. A confession is a statement coming from someone who previously has already felt this deep within his soul.
For a guilty man to be on the witness stand and say "I am innocent" is not a confession. For an innocent man to say "I am guilty" is not a confession, in both cases it is a lie. For a guilty man to say "I am guilty" is a confession because he is relating something that he is already deeply convicted of personally.
Good posts!
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