Face to Face and Heart to Heart with God (1 John 4:7-12 Devotional)

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

I John 4:7-12

This short passage includes many verses that we treasure, and for each of them, I can write a devotional.  However, I’ll focus on one of these and encourage you to meditate on the rest.

Verse 12 reminded me of Moses.  He asked God to show him His glory (Exodus 33:18), God put him in a cleft and he only saw the back of God (Exodus 33:22-23).  However, at the end of his life, in the Book of Deuteronomy, it was said that the Lord knew him face to face (Deuteronomy 34:10).  Seeing God’s “face” does not mean you know Him face to face but seeing His glory is.  One of His glories is love.  Many Christians desire to see God, how can we see Him?  John offered a way – we love each other.  The deeper we enter into loving each other, or the deeper we love others, the deeper we see how deep God’s love is, and how bright his glory is.  And it is in love that we are not only knowing Him face to face but also heart to heart because He abides in us.

How Deep the Father’s Love for Us

Writte by Stuart Townend

How deep the Father’s love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

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