1. 1 Let’s get a running start at our text and see several verses together. "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." 1 John 4:16 We said that the word “abide” is the word “μένω” which gives you something incredible. “By the use of μένειν John seeks to express the immutability and inviolability of the relation of immanence. In so doing he elevates the Christian religion above what is attained in Hellenistic rapture or even in the prophecy of Israel.” TDNT It means that we are talking about something that transcends the highest Greek philosophy and even the gift of the Abrahamic Covenant. This concept of God abiding in you and you in God dwarfs any imagination of the most mature believer’s faith. It is the essence of life. "By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him." 1John 4:9 How central is love, pure agape love, to your thoughts, desires, needs and direction in the course of daily living? You do realize that it is the central point to everything that God does and thinks, every moment of His existence – and that we are created in His image don’t you? Realize that in order for you to feel “normal” by your creation, in order for you to live any kind of satisfying life in any and all of your relationships, you are going to have to live in the shadow of this wonderful fact.

2. 2 "No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us." 1John 4:12 "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world." 1John 4:16-17 What do you suppose it means to “have God’s love perfected in us”? “John adds: “and his love has been brought to its goal in us,” his love for us with all that is said about this love in the preceding. Its goal is reached in us when God and this his love enter our hearts in order to remain there. Save for the periphrastic perfect, this is the same statement that was made in 2:5; compare 4:17, 18 in a different connection.” Lenski

3. 3 So what happens if we don’t “abide” in love? We are reduced to whatever God’s patience will allow following His correction upon our stubborn, independent will and the self-inflicted pain and loss that it causes.

4. 4 "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world." 1John 4:16-17 Do you realize that this is the second time in that text that says that the love of God is perfected, or completed in us when we love? In fact, that phrase first occurs in 1John 2:5, so lets look at what the Lord is trying to communicate to us.

5. 5 "but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:” 1 John 2:5 "No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us." 1John 4:12 "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world." 1John 4:16-17 Our text here actually reads “IN this, love is perfected AMONG us”. I want to spend more time studying this concept but for now let’s at least understand that remaining steadfast in God and our experience of God remaining in us, is the product of choosing to stand close to God so that He is free to reveal Himself to, in, and through us.

6. 6 What would you guess is the most significant thing that the Bible says about love? "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." 1 John 4:16 Let’s take a shot at identifying each phrase and what each of them teaches so that we can assimilate their significance.

7. 7 "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." 1 John 4:16 What would it mean to you if you had come to “know” the love which God has for you? As you might have anticipated, this is the word “γινώσκω” which is that unique knowledge that comes through personal experience. So you could translate the Greek as “We have come to experience the love that God has for us.”

8. 8 "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." 1 John 4:16 What would it mean to you if you had come to “know” the love which God has for you? As you might have anticipated, this is the word “γινώσκω” which is that unique knowledge that comes through personal experience. So you could translate the Greek as “We have come to experience the love that God has for us.” As you might imagine, to actually experience the love of God on any level is inevitably going to draw you toward Him, away from and out of yourself. And if you are NOT being constantly drawn toward Him, you might look a little more closely at what you ARE experiencing. You might be “experiencing” theology and doctrine about Him rather than engaging Him in intimate, satisfying, drawing love! In fact, at this point we might all be better served if we would all quietly consider the flow of our days and weeks. ARE we, in fact, experiencing the Lord, His love, drawing us more deeply into His being each day so that our experience with Him is deepening? Are we finding ourselves less fearful, anxious, less overwhelmed by the events of life because we are becoming more conscious of the reality of His presence and involvement? He is so indescribably wonderful that once you start to experience Him as your life, it becomes increasingly impossible to hold any reserve in the decision to throw all you are and all you have at his feet in total self-abandon. His love is so satisfying that once you have truly tasted it, the response is inevitable and overwhelming. If that is not your experience today, you might consider what you ARE experiencing.

9. 9 You may be feeling a little indicted if you can’t say that you experience what we described, but here is the point and my purpose in teaching it. Whether we live experiencing the fruit of the Spirit or the deeds of the flesh (Gal 5:19-23) – is a constant issue of choice which puts both under your control. Peace or frustration are your choices always, in every situation. If you like your daily experience, you will see no reason to change. But if you do NOT – you don’t have to put up with it another day. If you live your life, and see yourself as a victim of circumstances, you can put an end to it today, even if the first step out for you is very simply saying to the Lord, “Lord, I feel crushed under my circumstances and brokenhearted. Right now I feel nothing but pain, anger and fear. I choose to believe You, that You have some purpose behind what You have allowed in my current misery and I am choosing to leave the outcome to You. I just need to hide my heart in You right now if You don’t mind. Further, it has been my habit to think and act on my own behalf, which put me where I am today. That being what it is, I am confessing that I will no doubt push You out of the control of my life many times from now to Your conclusion. I’m asking You to deliver me from myself, the way I think, and the desires of my flesh so that I may experience You as Your word promises. I’m asking You to take over my life.” If that choice appeals to you, whether you hear this live or by recording, I want to encourage you to make that commitment to God right now, and then contact me (602 997-8547) so that I can assist you in making it a life pattern of peace and joy. Otherwise Satan will gobble up any seeds of conviction that God sowed into your heart. Just keep this one point in mind. Prov 3:5-6 tells us to NOT lean on our own understanding. It is a chronic problem that we have. If you find yourself displeased with what God is or is not doing, are you not leaning on your own understanding to tell yourself why you are unhappy? If you are truly tired of the messes you create, why not finish the process and acknowledge that God’s first step in delivering you from yourself might be to displease your flesh so that you can resolve to trust only in the Lord no matter what.