At first glance, these words seem like all it takes to have God living in us is to acknowledge Him, right? Like, just say that Jesus is God’s Son and you’re in like Flynn (who is Flynn anyway, and why is he “in”?).

Yeah. No.

John was writing this letter to believers who were following Jesus as the Way, Truth, and Life – the only way to God.

He was encouraging them, comforting them, reminding them how much God loved them through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and how He expects His followers to love one another like He does.

In verse 12, he writes, “No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.” Almost the same as verse 15.

This verse isn’t so much about us getting IN as it is about once we’ve become followers of Jesus, we display His love that already lives in us.

What if we say we’re Christians but don’t display His love like John talks about? Might be time to check on if we’re rule-following Him or heart-following Him.

Maybe this also means that we can stop pretending. Pretending to love others when in our innermost being we just can’t stand them.

When we fully love God, declare that Jesus our Savior IS the Son of Almighty God, He lives in us …and… loves through us. All we have to do is let Him love them and our whole view of those we couldn’t stand changes and they become beloved to us.

Jeremiah wrote in Lamentations 3:40, “Let us examine our ways and test them and let us return to the Lord.”

Maybe today is a good day for that.

Coffee, Bible, Journal.