Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Monday, September 1, 1 John 4:12

"No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." (KJV)

"No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." (NIV)

We don't see air, but we see the effects it has on the things within it. Even so, we may not see God physically, but through His love for one another we see His effects in spreading the love He has shown us.

And the more we exude this love He has given us, the more complete we become in Him. In this, and the verses that follow, we will see the Trinity at work in us, developing us into mature believers by our love for one another.

I mentioned yesterday how God has chosen to use the church to help us learn how to love as He loves. The local church is a microcosm of a world striving to serve God. In the future, when God brings down the New Heaven and New Earth, we will see it in its completed form. At that time, we will no longer not see God, but He will be dwelling with us in completeness: Father, Son, and Spirit. And we will bring our glory unto Him, the glory He has given us, which inevitably is simply another effect and facet of His magnificent glory, for all glory stems from Him.

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God." (Revelation 21:3, ESV)

Some people like to "spiritualize" this statement, like a generic symbol of the new birth. But we have seen, in the beginning of chapter 3 in 1 John, that we will literally see Him face to face: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." (3:2)

We will enter "The Dance", so to speak. God never needed us, for the Godhead was content in "Himself", with the Father, Son, and Spirit constantly communicating in love. In His wondrous grace He has allowed us to join into that great Dance; to enter into the fellowship and bask in glory of God!

And we, by His wondrous grace and teaching, are being prepared as a Bride preparing for her great wedding, discarding the old clothes of this present darkness and entering into His marvelous light. This hope motivates us to be pure before Him, and He teaches us how.

John writes after those great words: "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 3:3)

It is this great hope that motivates us. We look at the good things in this life, and get glimpses of the wondrous glory of God. Can you imagine when all the dross is burned away, and we see the solid "gold" of what God always intended for us?

We can't see it yet, but we can imagine much of it. The Spirit reveals glimpses, so we can long for the great hope that will be ours by His marvelous grace. We can close with 1 Corinthians 2:9-10:

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, Neither have entered into the heart of man, The things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."

We don't see all, but we have that hope that all things, ALL THINGS will become new. Literally. We have glimpses sealed within us by the Spirit that reveal our great hope.

And if you do not believe, but suddenly are filled with this great longing that only God can fill, the Spirit is calling you. "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." (John 3:8, NIV) Do you sense His call? Turn to Him today!

*all scriptures today from the KJV unless noted*

Memory Helps:

"No one has ever SEEn God;
but if we LOVE one another,
God LIVES in us
and his LOVE
is made COMPLETE in us."

A fairly long verse. I've broken it down into five lines. Then I picked five "anchors" from which to develop each line:

"SEEN LOVE, LIVES LOVE, COMPLETE!"

After I learn that little phrase, I'll branch backward and forward from those words and fill each line until complete. Here we have the ending words included:

"SEEN GOD", LOVE ONE ANOTHER, LIVES IN US, LOVE, COMPLETE IN US."

Learn that, and then finish with the beginning lines. Use hand actions to help with each line, symbolizing as needed, like pointing to your heart for "Love", pointing up for "God", spreading out your hands with one finger showing for "One Another", etc.

I use the TIN man from OZ for verses 12, because T=1, N=2, with vowels fillers. He bursts through the "1 John 4 yawning door" and runs through the hand motions as we recite the verses. I have him wearing glasses for "No one has SEEN" to help ignite the memory process as we link 1 John 4:12 with the verse.