“ALL WHO KEEP his commandments abide in him, and he in them” (1 John 3:24). This follows yesterday’s verse and adds something to it. Yesterday’s verse said: “this is his commandment, that we should believe in . . . Jesus . . . and love one another” (v. 23). Believe and love! If we do these two things, two results will follow: we will abide in Him and He will abide in us. If the two commandments, believe and love, are the Christian faith reduced to simplicity and profundity, then these two things—we will abide in Him and He will abide in us—reduce that faith to its greatest simplicity and profundity as far as end results go. Nothing can be higher than for us to abide in Him and He in us. I want nothing beyond that and I can have nothing beyond that. If I have those two things I have no problems. I have nothing but possibilities. We saw that for us to abide in Him means to abide in life, and for Him to abide in us means that life abides in us. God is affirmed as God, and we are affirmed as man. A great God and a great man live together in right relationships.
This is no esoteric, inner-circle business—it is open to all: “All who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them.” That is as wide-sweeping and all-embracing as “whoever believes in him should not perish” (John 3:16). This breaks down the walls and opens the highest to all—all who will believe and love. If the “whoever” passage is the gospel of invitation, this passage of “all” is the gospel of participation. We can participate in the highest thing for man—he in Christ and Christ in him—and there are no qualifications of age, sex, race, or standing—it is open to all. If we weren’t so used to hearing this we would begin to dance and throw our hats in the air. My heart does sing—sing with the deepest joy known to man.
Dear Father, Thou dost ask me to believe and love, and nothing is easier when I look at Thy Son. Nothing seems to be possible but to do just those two things. Looking at Him they become natural. I am grateful! Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: Soul of mine, learn this: there is nothing higher in this universe than to abide in Him and He in me—nothing!
