1 John 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
For the past couple of weeks we have looked together in a couple of proofs that God dwells in us and we dwell in God. The first evidence was that God has given us of His Holy Spirit. We understand that we cannot know these things or be sure of them without the Spirit of God. The second evidence that God dwells in us and we in Him is that we know and are sure that Jesus is the Son of God! Not that Jesus is a good man, or a martyr, or a prophet, or someone who started a new religion, but that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God.
This brings us to the last proof in this passage that God dwells within us and that we dwell in God. It is found in verse 16 of First John chapter 4. Here we find that the key evidence to demonstrating that someone dwells in God and that God dwells in someone is that they abide in love! Would we actually expect that anything else would so clearly demonstrate the presence of God than a selfless, continual love. There is no greater need in the world in which we live than for love. There is so much anger and hate. There is so much confusion and pettiness. There is so much sorrow and hurt. And there is so little love! There is no doubt that our Lord Jesus walked in a demonstration of continual selfless love. When we see him say, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." as He is laying down His life for others, we see His love clearly demonstrated in His final moments as the Son of Man.
Indeed, God is love. Where God dwells, there is love. It seems that somehow many have been deceived. Either deceived into believing that God dwells within them when He does not, or deceived into believing that God has another desire other than creating in our hearts a selfless, loving person. Read the passage again. Indeed, read First John again. Alas, read the Gospel of John again! See, see God's desire to rescue us from our own selfishness. God help us all. For Jesus' sake!