1 John Chapter 4 Pt. 3 The Love Of God, The Indwelling Spirit Of God & Another Litmus test

When we love one another, we know God dwells in us.

1 John 4:11-12  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12)  No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 

God's love for mankind and our love for Him is mentioned 4 times in these 2 verses. God loved us enough to crucify His own Son, Jesus Christ. 

He did this so that He could save all who hear the gospel, repent of their sins and believe on Jesus Christ.

Those who are truly born again and in the family of God, love one another, because of the freely given, unmerited love God gives to us. 

When we love one another as Jesus Christ commanded us to do, then the love of God does His perfecting work in our hearts. Loving one another is another litmus test showing us that God dwells in us. 

We know that we are in Christ and Christ is in us, through His Spirit. 

1 John 4:13  Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 

Christian love is an assurance of the divine inhabitation. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us. 

God dwells in us, not by a visible presence, because no man hath seen God at any time. He dwells in us by his Spirit because God is a Spirit (See John 4:24). 

God is love and if He dwells in us by His Spirit, that divine love must come out of us and flow to others. Remember, the fruit of the Spirit is love (Galatians 5:22-23).

The token of God’s dwelling in us, though we see Him not, is this, that He hath given us of His Spirit (See 1 John 3:24). 

Where the Spirit of God is, there God is. One Spirit dwells in the Church and each believer receives a measure of that Spirit in the proportion God thinks fit. Love is His first-fruit.

We are to be witnesses for Jesus Christ. 

1 John 4:14  And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 

John states that all the apostles "have seen" Jesus Christ manifested in the flesh (See John 1:14; 1 John 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:16). 

The apostles were specifically called to bear witness, by having the fullest conviction that the Father sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. 

The apostles had the fullest proof of this truth from Christ's doctrine and miracles, which they heard and saw during the whole time that Jesus lived among men.

Another litmus test to separate truth from error. 

1 John 4:15  Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.  

John gives us yet another litmus test to help us discern truth from error. All those who make a public confession that Jesus is the Son of God, are in Christ and God is in them. 

Denying Jesus is the Son of God.

KJV Matthew 8:29  And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

ESV Matthew 8:29  And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 

The error introduced in modern Bibles that use a different Greek text for translating, is quite evident.

There are only about 4 manuscripts which remove the name "Jesus" and in doing so, they deny that Jesus is the Son of God.

I counted 42 modern translations that contains this error, including the NRSV, NIV and NASB. 

The vast majority of manuscripts containing this verse, retain the name that is above all other names, the name of Jesus. 

Omitting a whole phrase while denying Jesus is Son of God. 

KJV 1 John 5:13  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.  

The KJV reinforces the truth that John is writing to us to give us a full assurance of our faith in Christ, and that we may "believe on the name of the Son of God." This phrase is found twice in one verse. 

ESV 1 John 5:13  I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 

The ESV omitted the last 13 words of this verse, and thus denied that Jesus is the Son of God. There are only 2 manuscripts that omit these words. 

However, the vast majority of manuscripts that contain this verse, contain the words exactly as found in the KJV. 

1 John 4:15  Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 

The Spirit of God guided John to give us these very specific litmus tests, in order to keep the church on track with a right view of God, and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Thus, we must be well acquainted with our Bible, and stand upon its truth. Let us share truth in love, with those who are reading from a different translation that follows the modern Greek text. 

I have previously mentioned the most probable reasons why some manuscripts were changed. 

Heresies such as Arianism, Gnosticism, Docetism and those who hold a dualistic view, were the ones who omitted verses or words like the examples we have looked at.  

It was due to certain false teachers who attempted to spread their false teachings by making their copies of scripture conform to their heretical views. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

We have learned that God is a Spirit.

We have learned that God is light.

We have learned that God is love.

We know that Jesus Christ is the fullest revelation of God to mankind.

If God dwells in us so will His Spirit live in us.

If God dwells in us, we will love others because God is love. We will walk in light rather than darkness, because God is light. 

I pray that our Christian walk with the Lord Jesus Christ will reflect our King, our Master, our Creator, and God.

Bob