“Again, this is God’s command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us.” I John 3:24, The Message
The author continues his argument that love lived is the only sensible way for a follower of Christ to live. We obey his commands, not because it GETS us what we ask for but because it is the natural outflow of God’s giving us what we needed. And as we do so, we receive more of what we need — the assurance that we are living in him. Listen to this hymn, ponder the lyrics (yes, it’s FOUR whole minutes, but I’ll tell you, I tried it, and sitting still for four minutes listening to the truth that Christ abides with us through storms and sun is a gift my unsteady soul needs to receive. Take some deep breaths. Ask God for His presence, and try to receive it — because He will give it. This is the logic of love and living for a follower of Christ.
