"But He said, 'You cannot
see My face; for no man shall
see Me, and live.'"
Exodus 33:20
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Hello again, let's seek the Lord together....
"Holy Father God in heaven, this day we come together to praise Your glorious name above all names. You are so holy and pure that no man may see Your face and live. Thank You, Father, fpr being holy above all else. Thank You for giving us a glimpse of who You are in Your holy word.
I seek forgiveness of my sins this day and pray that You will have mercy and forgive me. I pray that You will wash me clean and make me pure. Renew a steadfast spirit within me and give me a clean pure heart like Yours. I pray that You will fill me with Your Spirit that others may see You in me.
I lift up each lady reading this study today. I pray that You will look into her heart. Guard her from her thoughts and guide her in Your Spirit. I pray that she will earnestly seek You today and turn to Your ways. I pray that You will go to her and encourage her in all her needs.
In Jesus' name....amen."
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Seeing God Through Love
Today's lesson begins a new section in 1 John chpater 4. We looked at knowing God through love in the first opening section of chapter 4, but now we will look at what it means to see God through love.
1 John 4:12
"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."
John begins this section with the fact that no one has seen God. Not one person created by God has seen Him face to face.
Please read:
Ex 33:20-23
Here we have Moses desiring to see God, so God provides a way for Moses to see only a part of God and survive to tell about it. God provides the rock to protect Moses.
Is 2:21
Ps 91: 1-4
Is 17:10
Deut 32:18
1 Sam 2:2
So, John wants us to understand that the Lord did appear to Moses in the Old Testament, but he also appeared as Jesus in the New Testament:
John 1:1-18
Here we have John writing the words, "No one has seen God at any time..." which he repeats here in 1 John 4:12.
But then he continues in John 1:18...
"The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him."
John writes that it is Jesus who clearly reveals God.
1 Tim 6:16
And now, in 1 John chapter 4, John tells believers that it is we who now reveal God.
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"If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us."
John wants us to understand that when we obey God's commands, then He abides in us. Only then has His love been perfected in us. And only then will others see God through our love.
1 John 2:5-6
Remember that John wrote earlier about how the love of God is perfect in us: whoever keeps His word.
It is obedience that God desires of us more than anything.
1 sam 15:22-
Is 1:11-17
"Cease to do evil, Learn to do good, Seek justice...." These are the commands of the Lord. He prefers we obey than sacrifice or put before Him offerings.
That obedience is like a soothign aroma to the Lord:
Gen 8:20-21
Ex 29:18 & 25
The smell of the animal offerings were a pleasant aroma to the Lord because it meant that His people were doing what they were told to do. They were obeying His commands.
Maybe that's why we love to smell meat cooking on the barbeque! Since we were created in His image, maybe that's why it is a pleasant aroma to us as well.
2 Cor 2:14-16
Eph 5:2
Heb 13:16
Ultimately, it is the sweet aroma of Christ in us that pleases God. We are "the fragrance of Christ" to God because of His perfect obedience....His perfect sacrifice.
That is how others will see the love of God: when He abides in us because of obedience.
That way, others will see God as He is.....they will see God in us.
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Life Application
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...." John 1:14
Praise God that He did come down and become that perfect sacrifice for us and now we are that fragrance of Christ to God. We are now pleasing to the Lord!
All our works before our salvation were repulsive to the Lord. They were tainted and dead because we were in sin. We were His enemies.
But because of Christ Jesus, we now are pleasing to the Lord. Praise God! He looks upon us now. He reveals Himself to us now through His word and through other believers who walk in obedience.
Believers:
Keep His word
Abide in Him
Walk as He walked
Love the brethren
Have the anointing of the Holy Spirit
This is how we know believers from non-believers.
I once heard an atheist on the radio explaining why he doesn't believe in God. He said in essence, "If there is this all powerful benevolent God out there....why doesn't He reveal Himself??"
And I answered to no one in particular, "He already has revealed Himself."
God condescended upon His creation for one reason only: to redeem us and bring us back to Him.
Why?
To be known.
Take all that you have learned this day with you. Remember that you are now pleasing to the Lord because of Jesus. Not because of any works that you have done....but all because of what Jesus has done for you. Because of His perfect obedience, you and I are now seen by God and we can now see God through love.
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Until next time.....
"All through this epistle, John teaches that likeness is the proof of relationship. The great proof that we are truly related to the eternal God and belong to him is that we are like him -especially in exercising love. John says that everyone who loves has been born of God."
-Dr. Joel Beeke (The Epistles of John, 2006, p. 160)
Blessings,
Ruth
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