Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 1 John 4:12-16.

“12 No one has seen God at any time;  if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.  13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.  14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  16 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 4:12-16.  

————–

How do we know God abides in us?  This is a fair question to ask, because Scripture states:  “No one has seen God at any time”.  Verse 12.

Today’s Scripture is quick to answer this question by pointing to four ways that we can know that God abides in us.

First, we can know that God abides in us:  “if we love one another, God abides in us”.  Verse 12.

Second , we can know God abides in us:  “because He has given us of His Spirit.”  Verse 13.

Third, we can know God abides in us:  “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him”.  Verse 15.

Fourth, we can know God abides in us:  “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.”  Verse 16.

Today’s devotion will now proceed to provide (and conclude by) supporting Scriptures regarding this second point that we can know God abides in us:  “because He has given us of His Spirit.”  

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.”  2 Corinthians 1:21-22.

“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”  Ephesians 1:13-14.

“However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.  But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”  Romans 8:9.

“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba!  Father!”  The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,”  Romans 8:15-16.