We Know

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER OF JOHN

WE KNOW

1 John 4:13-16

13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

NIV

If there was ever any doubt whatsoever that we live in God and he is us, John puts this doubt to rest once and for all. Well, actually the Spirit puts it to rest because we have been given the Spirit and He testifies to the truth within us. Because we live in God, we will also be in his physical presence someday, that is we already have eternal life. We are saved, born again, a child of God who has the Spirit living within us assuring us of this truth. We have acknowledged Jesus is the Son of God. We know that is true. Once the Spirit of God convicted us of this truth, we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior and know in our hearts the truth of the gospel. Because we have been given the Spirit, it is almost inconceivable why people refuse to see Jesus as the Son of God.  Still, we know it is sin that blinds them to this truth, as we too were once blinded by our sin. Why we were given sight is still a mystery when so many are still blind. However, we praise our Lord for sending the Spirit and however, or why we were able to hear his voice, feel his conviction, has to be from God. John was a first-hand witness to Jesus being the Son of God, gives his testimony to that fact. Our salvation is based solely on our believing Jesus is the Son of God. There is nothing we can do or say that will affect our having eternal life, it is only through faith in Jesus that we are saved. However, there is something else John makes a point of. Because we have God living in us, and we know he loves us, we rely on the love God has for us. Although the Greek does not have the word rely on, it is implied in the word, have believed, in the sense that this word means we have put our trust in Him or rely on His love. Once we relied on our self, our abilities, and our intelligence to make it through this life. But in doing this, we had no hope of eternal life. Although we sought love, and perhaps found a fragile fragment of it, we never were able to experience the true love God offers. However, since we have accepted Jesus as the Son of God and have received the Spirit and He now dwells within us, we have and are experiencing and relying on the love of God. This is not a mystery, this is not just a hope, this is something we know.