If someone tells you they’ve actually seen God, this is a big RED FLAG this person is not speaking truth. Our human eyes could not behold Him and live.

John reiterates this when he clearly says, “No one has seen God at anytime.” (1 John 4:12)

But we can often see God in others, can’t we?

“If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.( 1 John 4:12, second part).

I think God is most evident in others I have observed who love those who are hard to love, who love those have hurt them, or who love those who cannot return the love shown them.

They do this by daily dying to self.

The Apostle Paul tells us in chapter 3 of Colossians to deliberately put off some things and put on some other things.

We are to daily die to self and live for Christ (Col 3:3); and when we do this, God works in and through us and others can see Him.

What’s more, those who daily die to self and love others are warriors, soldiers, in a Kingdom that is powerfully advancing.

They fight the good fight to daily die to themselves and their desires …but it is right there that they truly live!

And make no mistake, with these, God is bringing amazing light into the darkest of darkness and setting captives free.

Those, often suffering, soldier saints don’t just cognitively believe in the crucifixion, they have, themselves, been crucified with Christ (Gal 3:20).

They no longer live for the emptiness of temporary worldly, satisfaction…. they’ve answered a higher, better calling to an eternal purpose (Matt 6:19).

I’m not just talking about pastors, missionaries and the like. I’m talking about ordinary people you know, some of you who are reading this right now, people who serve day in and day out the cause of Christ.

They do things like endure the hard marriages, they care for the elderly parent, they patiently raise the child with special needs who will never leave home.

They love the prodigal. They serve the homeless and pick up the broken and addicted. They study the Word and teach in the small churches and the hard places. They care for the orphans and seek out the lonely. They love the hard to love.

Like their Savior, they daily deny themselves—their comfort, their dreams, their finances, for a greater good and higher cause.

Yes, they’ve been hurt, knocked down, scarred, and disappointed in the battle; but their eye remains steadily on the eternal, better prize (Phil 3:14).

But each of them will tell you their strength is not their own. Human love would have walked away long ago. Jesus is the source of their strength and their love.

Over and over, they place their hope in the One True King who will dry every tear, heal all the wounds, and make all things new. (Psalms 147, Rev 21:4-5) .

And as they quietly do the hard things and patiently serve, a lost world sees Jesus in them.

One by one, dying people catch a glimpse of what it means to truly live.

And disciples make disciples …and the Kingdom of God advances….

One person,
one decision,
one day at a time.

Oh friend, may we love as He has loved us!

He sees you!

And one day… our eyes will behold His glory! Our faith will become sight! Victory belongs to our Lord!! That’s one more way we can remember, He who is in us is stronger than He who is in the world! (1 John 4:4)

And if you clearly see the Lord in someone else, will you tell them? Your encouragement will be a blessing.

read1John

Note – this is a continuation of my study of 1 John. Go to this page on Facebook or kimjaggers.com to see other posts on this wonderful book of the Bible.