1 John 4:12-13 Spirit of Love

1 John 4:12-13 says, “No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” No one has ever yet seen God. Why does John say this here? How can we love an invisible God? We show love to God by loving the image of God in His people. In other words, love of faulty fellow church goers proves the indwelling of God. That is, possession of the loving Spirit proves “we abide in Him”.

Sacrifices

Soldiers go to war voluntarily, usually. Police officers voluntarily sacrifice their safety. Parents sacrifice for their children. Missionaries sacrifice equity, savings, and personal safety to go overseas and spread Christianity. Even retailers sacrifice privacy in order to be able to make money. Everyone sacrifices something so we can live together in peace. Medical Doctor Commander Edward Jewel wrote in the New Yorker in 2003 that he treated enemy prisoners of war.1 He soon realized that could be his job for the duration of the war in Iraq. The greatest sacrifice is the one who lays down his life for an enemy. Jesus died while we were still enemies (Romans 5:10).

1 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/06/12/soldiers-stories

Shepherds

I grew up spending summers on my uncle’s sheep farm. Though I learned a lot about sheep, I did not learn much about shepherding. Later I became pastor of a rural church with many sheep farmers. Though I learned a lot more about sheep from them, I still did not learn much about shepherding until I met Robin. She was a shepherd. There is a difference. Sheep farmers have thousands of sheep, but Robin had a small flock and knew each one by name. Sheep often flee a sheep farmer, but when Robin took a small can of grain and shook it, they came to her and they knew her voice. That’s an advantage of small churches. Jesus is like Robin. He is the Good Shepherd and calls us into his flock to be cared for individually (John 10:10-18).