What do you love? We all love something. We all might say we love their family. Some love outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, 4-wheeling, and camping. Maybe you would say you love the University of Michigan or Michigan State. Perhaps you love books or music. With all these varieties of answers, we must ask, what is love? Over the last few weeks, as we looked at 1 John 4:7-21, we learned that the definition of love is sourced in God. To define love, we must understand God.

Notice in verse 6 that John states that God is love. Any proper definition of love must come from a proper understanding of God. Your view of God will dictate your view of life. With this in mind, we must note that the statement cannot be reversed. It is not a mutually equal statement. God is love, but love is not God. Love is not an all-encompassing statement of God. We see in Scripture that God is holy (1 Peter 1:16), righteous (Is. 45:21 – a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.), and so on with all of who God is. In short, God is the sum of all of his attributes. God is loving, and God is just. God is holy, and God is merciful. They must work in concert with one another.

We observed in the last two weeks that God’s love motivates our love. This week I would like you to note that God’s love also assures us in our deepest trials and temptations. In verses 15-18, John informs us that God’s love assures us of our standing with Him. As Romans 8 tells us, nothing can separate us from God’s love.

We see first that God’s love gives us confidence that we abide in Him. This concept of mutual abiding is essential to Spiritual growth. Danny Akin informs us, “This is not just a statement regarding the status of Jesus as the son. It is a confession that results in a reception of new life resulting in a commitment to obedience and trust. The natural reaction of someone who genuinely believes that Jesus is the son of God is to join his life with his in all that means. When one abides in the love of God, his knowledge of God grows, and his faith in God grows. The more we love him, the more we understand him, and in turn, we trust him more, and our faith increases.”

As we gain this confidence, our faith increases in several ways. First, abiding in Christ results in growth. Consider what Christ said in John 15:4-10. As a branch cannot survive apart from the plant, so we cannot grow and survive apart from Christ. Yet, at salvation, we were made to abide in God, who abides in us. The result is that we bear fruit. We grow in our walk with God. What did Christ mean by bearing fruit? Paul informs us in Galatians 5 with the fruit of the Spirit. As you abide in God, you will see growth in your life in the fruit of the Spirit. If you do not see growth in your life in the fruit of the Spirit, it is a sign that you are not abiding in God, and you must question whether you are an authentic believer.

The second result of abiding in Him is power. Paul states in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ, who empowers us. Now, we must look at this passage in its context. This is not saying you can do absolutely anything because God strengthens you. You may see a football player reference this verse after a great game. Does this mean that God did not strengthen the loser of the game? The answer is no because this text does not refer to the power to accomplish whatever we want. Paul states that he has learned that he can be content in any state in which God puts him. So when he has nothing and is hungry, and when he has plenty, he can be content. How? Because God gives him the power to respond right in each situation.

When you abide in Christ, he gives you the ability to respond in a Christlike fashion to every situation in life. How can you live a Christian life? How can you love the unlovable? How can you respond with grace? How can you overcome that sin that dogs you? The answer is the power of God found in abiding in Christ. Abiding in Christ strengthens us and gives us the power to overcome sin and respond right in situations. If you find yourself constantly responding in fleshly carnal ways to problems, and if you find yourself overrun by sin, you must question whether you abide in Christ. As believers, we are placed solidly into God’s love, which does not fail. This love grants us the confidence and power to grow in Christ and produce the fruit of the Spirit.