June 25 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

1 John 4:

¹Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
²Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
³And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
⁴Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
⁵They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
⁶We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
⁷Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
⁸He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
⁹In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
¹⁰Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
¹²No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
¹³Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
¹⁴And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
¹⁵Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
¹⁶And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
¹⁷Herein 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.
¹⁸There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
¹⁹We love him, because he first loved us.
²⁰If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
²¹And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Devotional

By nature we are prone to hate God. We would never love him, if He had not first loved us. But He overcame our hatred by his infinite love. "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the pro­pitiation for our sins." "God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." We are bought with a price, not with gold or silver, but with the pre­cious blood of Christ. If we realize the greatness of our sin, and then realize in a small measure even the greatness of God's love, we cannot help but love him in return. "We love him, because he first loved us."

But then it follows that we should love one another, as John tells us, "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." "This commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also." "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar." Jesus said, "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." That is the promise. Have we faith to believe it! Do we really love God and the brethren? Then God will dwell with us in this life, and we shall dwell with him in the hereafter, and that for ever.

Prayer

Our Father, we cannot understand it; it is beyond our comprehension, how Thou couldst love us while we were Thine enemies. While we were sinners Christ died for us. We were justified by his blood. When we were enemies, we were recon­ciled unto Thee by the death of Thy Son. And now we have a living Saviour. Much more then, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Our Father, we stand in awe, and adore Thee. We would be grateful. Graciously accept of us, accept our adoration, and our imperfect service. Help us to praise Thy name now and for ever. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: John 3:16; 1 John 4:10; Rom. 5:8; 1 Pet. 1:18f; 1 John 4:11f; 4:21f; John 14:23.

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