1 John 4:13
We know that we dwell in God and He in us because He has given us of His Spirit, and we are seeing the gifts and graces of the Spirit at work in our lives.
John Gill emphasizes the profound relationship between believers and God as described in 1 John 4:13, illustrating that true communion with God is evidenced by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He explains that this mutual indwelling is not only a matter of faith and love but is also demonstrated through the gifts and graces of the Spirit bestowed upon believers. The presence of these spiritual gifts serves as a confirmation of God's presence among His people, affirming their connection and the exercise of grace in their lives.
Text
Ver. 13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us,....
That there is a communion between God and us, and a communication of his love and grace to us, and an exercise of grace upon him; for God dwells in his people by his Spirit and grace, and they dwell in him by the exercise of faith and love upon him: and this is known,
because he hath given us of his Spirit: not of the essence and nature of the Spirit, which is the same with the nature of the Father and of the Son, and is incommunicable; but either of the gifts of the Spirit, which are divided to every man as he pleases, and which being bestowed on men, and used by them, for the profit and advantage of the church of God, show that God is with them, and dwells among them of a truth; or of the graces of the Spirit, such as faith, hope, and love, which are each the gifts of God; and these being bestowed and exercised, are proofs of the mutual indwelling of God and his people; See Gill on "1Jo 3:24".
Sermon Outline
- The Communion Between God and Us
- The Evidence of This Communion
- The Purpose of This Communion
- To show that God is with us and dwells among us
- The gifts of the Spirit or the graces of the Spirit
Key Quotes
“Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us,” — John Gill
Application Points
- We should exercise faith and love towards God by trusting in Him and obeying His commands.
- We should look for the gifts and graces of the Spirit at work in our lives, and recognize them as evidence of God's presence with us.
- We should use the gifts and graces of the Spirit for the profit and advantage of the church.