Moving over to 1 John 4, some of the following passage seems to reiterate points from the previous chapter (see 1 John 3:11-24).
This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
1 John 4:13-16 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/1jn.4.13-16.NIV
Think about that: the very idea of sinful, rebellious human beings living with a perfect, holy God, or – maybe even more extreme – a perfect, holy God living in us, as sinful as we are! Without a miraculous, amazing investment by God Himself, this would simply be impossible. However, thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice, we can be justified before God (declared perfectly righteous, as if we had never sinned), allowing two entirely incompatible beings (i.e., a holy God and our sinful selves) to not only get back on speaking terms again, but to be so close as to live in each other.
Given the likely impact of Gnostic and Docetist teachings on those who received this letter of 1 John, there is also some practical application here. There is a close coupling between acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God (versus false teachings that incorrectly said otherwise), and living in this close relationship with God.
This passage alludes to a key fact: Accepting the truth about Jesus is necessary for abiding with God.
Those who take Jesus at His word, and accept that He is exactly who God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit say He is, are aligned with the truth and can remain in God (and God can live with them). Conversely, any false teaching that denies the truth about Jesus does not – and apparently cannot – dwell with God. Without Jesus as a perfect sacrifice, which was made possible only through His divine nature, followers of any other teaching are left separated from God. And, as even Christians were before our salvation, that’s a terrible place to be.
I also would like us to notice the word “testify” in verse 14. When someone knows the truth about Jesus, they can witness to it. For instance, John the Apostle could personally testify to having seen Jesus after His resurrection. This testimony isn’t limited to those who lived in the first-century Middle East, though: even since Jesus’ return to Heaven forty days after His resurrection, those who know the truth about Him can personally testify about Him. Not only do we have the faithful record of those who were eyewitnesses, but followers of Jesus have experienced a first-hand relationship with God that we can speak about, including – but not limited to – what God has done for us. And, with the Holy Spirit in us, we can speak truth that we receive from Him, like when He lights up passages from the Bible for us, at just the right time and with divine insight.
So, if you are a follower of Jesus – if you have personally experienced the joy of living with Him – when you think about your testimony, don’t imagine that you have to tell some dramatic story about how God saved you from a life of drugs on the street, and now you rescue puppies. Your testimony is just your story [as described by Christian comedian Tim Hawkins], and when the time is right to share your story about how God saved you from your sins (regardless of what sort of social situation you were in at the time), I encourage you to mention His love that made this possible.
Why is a personal acknowledgement – about the truth of Jesus Christ so important? I encourage you to re-read the passage from 1 John above, because this simple truth (i.e., that God the Father sent God the Son to save the world) breaks down a lot of misconceptions. For instance, consider the impact of the following truth and their implications:
God loved us immensely and reached out to us when we were in our sins. He hates sin, but I think that’s because He hates what it does to His people, who He loves. After all, sin not only harms us, but it also separated us from a God whose commandments help us live our best lives – now and in eternity. With that understanding, God’s attitude towards sin isn’t about driving us away, but it’s more about saving us from sin’s consequences and bringing us back to something far better.
And, when we accept God’s loving gift of restoration with Him, we find that living with Him is better than anything else on this earth, and His loving guidance (especially when coupled with His power) produces far better results than trying to figure things out on our own. So, our righteous behavior isn’t trying to earn God’s favor or something we have to do because we’re afraid of what God will do to us. It’s just the natural response of a grateful adopted child in God’s family, combined with the rational observation that His way is better than our own.
Misconceptions about God’s relationship with His creation (including us) abound. If you haven’t yet spent some time pondering the truth from the Bible about how much God loves the world, I encourage you to do so. And, once you have begun to appreciate that truth, and what it means for us, I hope that you will testify to others about what you have confirmed to be true.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for March 9, 2025
References:
- 1717 Bible Studies, 1, 2, and 3 John, © 2025 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1, 2 & 3 John, by Morris M. Womack. © 1998 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 