Welcome back again to our series on how your healing in unstoppable. Last week we saw how the fact that we exist in a sinful world, cannot really stop or hinder our healing in any way because of the fact that we have been placed into a New Covenant, and we have been given a new status and title – even the right to approach the Father in the Name of Jesus. And we ended last week by looking at the verse of 1st John 4:17, which tells us that even our very identity and nature has been changed; which many people are not even aware of.
Today we are going to explore this fact in more detail, as we continue seeing how because of the finished work of Christ, your healing is indeed unstoppable.
So let’s begin by reading 1st John 4:15-17, because this is a very important aspect of our new identity in Christ, and a great number of people have yet to learn it, let alone receive it for all that it is worth:
“Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him, and he in God.
And we have known and believed the love that God has to us. God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him.
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.”
Let’s camp here for a few moments and consider what these verses are telling us – about God, and about our identity as new creations in Him, as well.
So the first thing for us to see in verse 15 is that whoever, (so this is for anyone, not a particular people group or just for a certain time period) – whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God – not just a great teacher or a good man – but the actual Son of God; whoever confesses that, look at what the result is: God dwells in him, and he in God.
Consider this. Meditate on this. God dwelling in you is no small thing! This has an effect – a greater effect than we often realize; and this speaks to our new nature in Christ Jesus.
When you are dwelling in God and God in you, there’s no part of your life that is not changed or affected by this: spiritual, mental and physical as well… and this is the point of our study today, and indeed a vital pillar of the Gospel, the good news of Christ.
When you accept Christ, you are born again, you are reborn by the very Spirit of God (John 1:13, 3:6). Your old identity, your old nature is dead and gone – replaced by your new identity and new nature and as I said, this has marvelous effects for every area of your life. Much like what we have studied in the previous parts of this series, although we are still living in a sinful world, we are no longer sinful creatures. We no longer have the mark or stain of sin upon us (Jesus bore it Himself on the cross), and therefore sin has no affect on us. Again, God is dwelling in you, and you are in God.
Then in verse 16, we see another amazing aspect of this truth: the central focal point is the love of God. If we do not understand the divine love of God (ἀγάπη), then everything else will be dry, and ultimately powerless. It’s interesting that verse 16 starts by saying for we have known and believed the love (ἀγάπη, again) that God has to us. This is what many people need to know and believe!
The divine love of God to us, is of-course demonstrated by Jesus Christ, and His substitutionary sacrifice for us. This is stated plainly a few verses earlier in 1st John 4:9. What’s really important here is that we do not simply skip over this though, but actually stop and meditate on it. Because this is the foundation for your status in Christ, and by extension, the reason why your healing is unstoppable.
It was because of the divine love of God that Jesus came to earth and went to the cross. It was His divine love for you and for me that held Him to the cross, not the nails or the ropes. It was His divine love for you and for me that caused Him to endure the torture, ridicule and scorn of men, and even separation from the Father. And it was His divine love for you and for me that ultimately caused Him to willingly surrender His Spirit to death – suffering all of this in our place, taking all of the punishment and condemnation for sin upon Himself… for no other reason than His divine and perfect love for us.
Now, take notice of this, verse 16 says we have known and believed.
Knowing by itself is not enough, if all we have is knowledge, but do not believe, we are still quite dead. True life and power comes by believing.
Yet a large number of people do not know the love of God, and even less believe it. Instead being entangled by religion, and the entrapment of modern church culture… but it is this knowing and believing the love of God, His sacrifice, and your status in Him, that gives you power: he that dwells in love, dwells in God, and God in Him.
You see, contrary to what self-centered religion teaches, your love for God is not the focus here, but the primary thing is God’s divine love for you. You must first receive His love personally for yourself.
This is not a new idea, it’s actually mentioned two verses down from our text, in verse 19.
And here is the most amazing part of all my friend… once you understand and receive His divine love for you; once you receive the truth of how perfectly righteous and holy you are in Christ because of His sacrifice; once you realize that all of your sin was imputed to Jesus on the cross and all of His righteousness was likewise imputed to you, then verse 17 begins to manifest in your life:
“Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.”
When you truly receive the divine love of God for you, it will give you righteous boldness even in the day of judgment, because you will be absolutely sure of who you are in Christ Jesus. You will have no reason to fear or be afraid. You will know true peace, security and safety, because as the second half of the verse says (and this is truly awesome): as He is, so are we in this world.
I invite you to truly take this in my friend, and receive it for everything that it is telling you. Most Christians happy acknowledge that they will be like Jesus one day, eventually, when they get to heaven. However, as we examine this verse, we will notice that it assures us of more than that.
The verse does not say that we will be like like Jesus some time later when we get to heaven, but it says that as He is, so are we in this world!
Take some time to contemplate what this means for you, and your healing. As Jesus is, perfectly whole, perfectly healthy, perfectly at peace, perfectly righteous, perfectly sanctified, so are you!
These are not my words. If they were only my words they would be meaningless. These are the words of scripture… Holy Spirit inspired scripture regarding God’s divine love for you, and what Jesus accomplished to make you a completely new creation in Him.
I encourage you my friend, to receive this truth, grab hold of it and own it. Make it yours, personally.
And the next time something comes and tries to steal a part of your divine identity in Jesus Christ, you can honestly rebuke it with a simple phrase, “If it isn’t a part of Jesus, it is not a part of me!”
Be sure to join me again next week, as we continue our series, on why your healing is unstoppable.
Be blessed.
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