There is much to know about loving God and loving other people, and John the apostle has been helping us in both areas in his book of First John. We who have the spirit of God by believing in His Son Jesus' sacrifice for our sins are being perfected in our love for God and for others. But how do we know that God is really living within us and that we are living within Him? John gives us the answer in today's verse which is in First John chapter four and verse thirteen where he wrote:
Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
There is one simple way to determine whether we dwell with God and He dwells with us. Do we have His Spirit living within us? Do we naturally gravitate toward the things of God or do we gravitate toward the things of the world? Do we think about others or are we constantly thinking about ourselves? Do we seek others' advancement or our own? When we received Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we relinquish our rights to ourselves and His Spirit indwells us. We now abide in God, and He abides in us and His love is being perfected within us. If we do not receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord, then our own spirit drives us, and we live to ourselves and our love toward others is at best selective.
God loves everyone, and God desires to have fellowship with every man, woman, boy and girl. He desires to live within us, and He desires to place His Spirit within us so that we begin to live as He lives and love as He loves. Our natural nature is replaced with a new nature that becomes more and more like God every day.
In the book of First Corinthians in chapter eleven and verse thirty-one Paul the apostle when writing about having communion with God wrote:
For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
Maybe today should be our examination day. Maybe we should take the time to ask the hard questions like: Do I really have God's Spirit dwelling in me? Does my love for others grow every day? Do I find myself seeking the advancement of others more than myself or does my inner spirit constantly cry “unfair, unfair”?
May the Lord Jesus reveal to all of us today where He desires to perfect our love toward Him and toward other people as we humble ourselves before His mighty plan for our lives.
Next time we shall take a look at why John the apostle says that God sent Jesus into the world, so read ahead and we will join together then.
Until tomorrow...there is more...
Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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