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 has been 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 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

One of the definitions of God is, He is a God of Love. We saw earlier in verse 8 of this chapter. (He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.) This is a fact, "God is love." We know it is true because the Bible we are studying is inspired by God. 2 Timothy 3:16 (All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ) John in his writings was told what to write by God through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

John tells us none of us have ever seen God, no man has seen God. If we have not seen God, how can we know what He is like. But if we have the attributes of God, and we know that God is love. If we have the very same attributes, and one of those is loving or caring for our fellow man. Then we are like God in that sense. Loving our fellow man is shown to be one of the greatest commands we can follow. Christ told us this commandment was the second greatest commandment in the scripture. (Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31) and He explains our neighbor is anyone we come in contact with in the parable of the good Samaritan.(Luke 10:25 – 37) Loving “one another” means to have care and concern for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Particularly the ones of our home congregation. When we have this love then we know God is living in our hearts. Jesus told us that when we keep His commandments we are showing our love for Him and the Father. (John 14:23 - 24[23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.]) By loving each of our brothers and sisters in Christ then we are showing our love for Christ because we are keeping some of the most important words He has given us.

We know we are of Him and in Him because of the love we share with our spiritual family. Because of this love He has given us the Holy Spirit to help us through our life on earth.

The apostles were filled without measure with the Holy Spirit and they were able to share with us what they had seen of Christ while He was here on earth. They saw the great things done by Christ while He was here on earth and testified to us of these things which proved He was the Son of God.

When we accept this testimony of the apostles and admit to others that we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, and the Only Son of God, then we are admitted into the family of God, we become His children and share the love with others who believe the same. We believe in the love God has for us. (John 3:16[For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.])

God is love, if we share that love then we are living a life which is part of God, we are loving our brothers and sisters who are children of God as well and we are keeping His word. We are in God and He is in our hearts.