Friday 09 January 2009
- Bible Book:
- 1 John
"If we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us." (v.12)
Background
John Wesley, one of the founders of Methodism, spoke a lot about'Christian perfection', and it was the title of 1 of his
But Christian perfection and God's love being "perfected in us" hascreated a lot of confusion.
It does not mean that we are perfect or that we will ever beperfect. Only God is perfect. Throughout the whole of our lives wewill all continue to make mistakes and be subject totemptation.
Instead, 'perfect love' (or Christ-like love) is what we should setour hearts on. It is about wanting the love of God to be in everycell of our body, contained within our DNA, and for that divinelove to be shown through our lives to others.
Perfect love means that there is no better and no greater love thanthis.
John Wesley believed that a Christian can reach a point where thelove of God reigns supreme in their heart. And that it is onlypossible if they depend completely on Christ.
To Ponder
Verse 12 talks about God's love being shown inaction. What can you do to love one another showing that God's loveis being perfected in you?
Read this prayer from the Wild Goose ResourceGroup of the Iona Community.
Look at your hands, see the touch and the tenderness -
God's own for the world.
Look at your feet, see the path and the direction -
God's own for the world.
Look at your heart, see the fire and the love -
God's own for the world.
Look at the cross, see God's son and our saviour -
God's own for the world.
This is God's world, and we will serve God in it.
From 'A WEE WORSHIP BOOK' (Wild Goose Publications, 1999)
Text (c) 1999 WGRG/ Wild Goose Resource Group, Iona Community.Glasgow G2 3DH, Scotland. wgrg@iona.org.uk;
What are your thoughts and feelings as you pray this?