As He Is, So Are We

 

As Jesus is now, in the glories of heaven, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). The implied personification of those words is greater than mortal man can comprehend! However, when we realize that Christ dwells within us, it makes much more sense. The mystique evaporates, and we see a concept that is very possible and plausible. God gave us eternal life through His Son (John 3:16). Those in whom the Son dwells have His life manifesting in and through us (1 John 5:12).

God is love (1 John 4:8). When we walk in God, we walk in His love (2 John 1:6). Not that we deserve it, but He freely lavishes it upon those who come to Him through Christ in Salvation. It takes time for us to actually believe that His unreserved love is really ours. We still fear the pain, which the world threatens us with each day of our life. This pain is similar to what we already experienced prior to salvation, the deprivation and abuse from which we could not escape.

Living in the world of sin and hate, which often frightens us, we do not readily experience unconditional love. However, as we grow in Christ we gradually come to experience the fullness of God’s unrestricted love toward us. Some recognize it at the moment of salvation; some take months or years to fully comprehend His encompassing love, due to some trauma from our past. Once we learn to completely trust His love, however, it casts out all of our fears (1 John 4:18).

The beauty of God’s love is that it walks with us, step-by-step throughout life, buffering us from the deep wounds that Satan freely tormented us with before we were covered by the saving blood of the Lamb. Eventually God’s love so fills our soul that there is no more room for negative emotions. There is no way for Satan fiery darts of fear to pierce our heart, because the love of God deflects them instantly. We are now free to share this love with the world around us. As He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17).

Prayer:

Father God, from the moment of our salvation, we believe in the name of the Your Son, Jesus, and we know that we have Your eternal life (1 John 5:11-13). We also know that we will walk in assured confidence through the gates of death to the Day of Judgment (Matthew 12:36), because You paid the debt we owe for all of our sins. Your character manifests in us now, through the fruit of Your Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and replicates in and through our life, until we reflect Your divine nature to the world around us.

Thought for the Day:

As the Body of Christ, we confidently do greater works together, because God’s divine nature abides in each one of us (John 14:12). As He is, so are we in the world (1 John 4:17).