Held in God, Living in Love

“If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.” —1 John 4:15 (NIV)

Some days it feels like the world is pulling us in a dozen directions at once—news cycles, family needs, work demands, and the quiet ache of wondering whether we’re doing enough or being enough. In the middle of all that noise, we long for something steady, something true, something that holds us rather than drains us. Today’s verse offers exactly that kind of grounding.

In framing verse 15, we need to look at the surrounding verses.

When the writer of 1 John spoke these words, he was addressing a community trying to stay faithful in a confusing time. Some scholars describe this as the Johannine community—a network of early believers shaped by the same theology and imagery we hear in the Gospel of John. 

By the time this letter was written, most eyewitnesses to Jesus’ earthly ministry were likely gone or very old. Yet the writer speaks with the confidence of someone who stands in a living tradition: “We have seen and testify…” (v.14). Whether or not the author personally saw Jesus, he stands in the line of those who did, carrying their witness forward.

With that backdrop in mind, the flow of verses 14–16 becomes even clearer. John isn’t offering isolated statements—he’s tracing a movement of faith that begins with witness, leads to confession, and blossoms into love.

First, the foundation: “We have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son…” (v.14). Faith begins with witness—real people, real encounters, real stories of God’s love made flesh.

Then the confession: “If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God…” (v.15). This isn’t about reciting a formula; it’s about trusting the One who reveals God’s heart.

Finally, the result: “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” (v.16). Confession leads to abiding, and abiding leads to love.

The Gospel of John echoes all of this. Jesus promises, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you” (John 15:4). He tells his disciples that the Spirit will dwell with them and in them (John 14:17). And he prays that we would share in the same love he shares with the Father (John 17). The same melody runs through both the Gospel and the letters: to believe in Jesus is to enter a relationship of mutual indwelling—God in us, us in God—and that relationship always bears the fruit of love.

So, what does this mean for us today? It means that faith is not a distant memory of something that happened long ago. It’s a living connection to the God who still abides, still loves, still draws near. We may not have seen Jesus with our own eyes, but we stand in the same stream of testimony. We confess the same Son. And we are invited into the same life of love.

When we acknowledge Jesus—not just with our words but with our trust—we discover that God is already holding us and already living in us. And through our faith and devotion, we are being shaped into people who carry love into the world.

Loving God, thank you for the witness handed down through generations, and for the living presence of your Spirit within us. Help us to acknowledge Jesus not only with our lips but with our lives. Let your love take root in us so deeply that it becomes the way we move through the world. Abide in us today and help us abide in you.

Grace & Peace, 

Pastor Tim