1 John 4:12, 13
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
John says something very simple, and very searching. No man has seen God at any time. So how does the unseen God make Himself known? Through a people who love one another. That is the point. God becomes visible in the way His people treat each other.
I like that, because it brings the whole subject down out of the clouds.
A lot of people wonder, How do I know if I am really walking with the Lord? How do I know if I am dwelling in Him? John does not first point to feelings, or vocabulary, or religious motion. He points to the Spirit. And when the Spirit is present, love begins to surface.
That matters, because Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love.” Not merely talk. Not merely knowledge. Not merely activity. Love.
So to the degree that I am walking close to the Lord, His love will start showing in me. Not perfectly. Not flawlessly. But truly. There will be a tenderness that was not there before. A patience that was not there before. A willingness to forgive, to bear with people, to care about people, to pray for people. That is not natural goodness rising up. That is the Spirit of God doing what only He can do.
You need to see this.
Love is not just proof that I have a soft personality. Love is evidence that Someone lives within me. Left to myself, I can be selfish, touchy, impatient, and cold. So can you. But when the Lord is having His way, a different fragrance starts coming out of a life. The person may still be growing. The person may still stumble. But there is an increasing evidence that God is at work.
John says His love is perfected in us. That does not mean we become sinless overnight. It means His love is brought to its intended expression. He pours it into us, and then it begins to move through us. Romans 5:5 says, “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” There it is again. The Spirit within. Love flowing out.
Think about that.
If I claim to be close to the Lord, yet I am growing harder, sharper, and more resentful, something is off. Because the Spirit does not make a man more spiritual while making him less loving. The Spirit makes Jesus more evident in him. And Jesus loved people. He loved weary people, failing people, irritating people, confused people. He loved people.
That is why love is such a strong indicator. It is not the only fruit, but it is the first fruit mentioned. When the Lord is near, love does not stay theoretical. It shows up at home. It shows up in church. It shows up in the way I answer, the way I wait, the way I forgive, the way I refuse to keep a running list of injuries.
Beloved, if you want to know whether you are dwelling in the Lord, do not only ask, What am I feeling? Ask, What is coming out of my life? Is there more love? More mercy? More patience? More kindness? Those are not small things. Those are the fingerprints of the Spirit.
And that is good news, because the Christian life is not me straining to imitate Jesus by sheer effort. It is Christ in me by His Spirit, making His life seen in ways that people can actually feel. The invisible God becomes visible when His people love one another.