This section in 1 John is the backbone of John’s letter (4:11-19). We learn from this passage that the primary way that Christians are to be recognized is by love. And the love that Scripture refers to goes far beyond what we may merely feel, but what we subsequently do for others, or our actions.
Yesterday we talked about how there are no amount of works we could possibly do that would gain us entrance to an eternity with God, but that it is only through faith that we are made right through the actions of Jesus Christ. We went on to say that the evidence of a truly transformed life is evident in our actions. Today, we’re looking at what embodies those actions. True, godly love is the most powerful evidence of being “born again” as a child of God. This love comes from God who loved us before we ever loved Him. It’s when we are living in obedience to Him, according to our love, we can be confident in our relationship with Him.
As we break down this verse, there’s something that I want to make sure that you’re noticing. John differentiates knowing and believing, citing both as important. We see in many modern churches today that believing in God has been emphasized far over knowing God. This is a dangerous place for the modern church to be as it can lead to people who accept Jesus, yet do not live for Him. Simply put, these people may be “born of God,” but they show no evidence of actually “abiding” in Him.
The inverse of this concept is also true. Many churches/denominations will emphasize knowing God through worship experiences, service to others, etc., yet completely fail to emphasize salvation to their congregation. This is also highly dangerous, as it could lead to people not having any solid relationship with Christ at all, as their concept of God is based on human beings.
So, to reiterate, John is telling us that to “know and to believe” are essential in the life of a Christian believer. In order to be saved, we must believe in who Christ really is. And we must “know” Him through our obedience and fellowship.
To further define, John is telling us that the experience of abiding in God, that is the experience of salvation, is manifested and preserved through abiding in love. If we look back just a couple of verses to 1 John 4:12, it says, “If we love one another, God abides in us.”
John Piper says it beautifully, “…there is an aroma about God that can’t be concealed. It’s the aroma of love. When he comes into your life, the aroma comes into your life. The aroma is the sign of God’s saving presence, and if you smell it, you know he is there. You have assurance. If you don’t smell it, then you lose assurance and you cry out to God to cause his love to abound in your heart.”
