On His Life Lived in Us

1 John 4:17 (ESV). By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

1 John 4:17-21 (MSG) God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s.

1 John 17-21 (Phillips) God is love, and the man whose life is lived in love does, in fact, live in God, and God does, in fact, live in him. So our love for Him grows more and more, filling us with complete confidence for the day when He shall judge all men—for we realise that our life in this world is actually His life lived in us.

Observation

I purposely read scriptures in more than one translation because it causes me to engage again with verses that have become so familiar that, for me, they have lost their salt, no longer impacting me with the depth of their grace, love, sacrifice and power.  This is so very human, like tiring of eating the same foods everyday. The food is no less nutritious for me (presuming it is healthy and balanced in the beginning) no matter how many times I eat it, but, just as the Hebrews in the wilderness became tired of the miraculously provided manna, our human nature wants variety, something new and different, regardless of the quality, utility and worth of what we already have.

Our Enemy understands our human nature and uses it against us both to cause discontent (always wanting something new) and complacency (loss of saltiness; devaluing the potential and power of what we have).  When any word of God becomes powerless and bland to us, we are missing it. Reading other translations helps me to see every verse from another perspective, finding flavors I have missed because I was gulping it down, hurrying over the familiar, rather than savoring each bite.

Impact on Me

So, above are 3 different translations of the same passages of Scripture.  I was blessed by all 3 but fully arrested by how the phrase “as he is so also are we in this world” from the ESV was translated into more modern common talk by Reverend Peterson – “our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s” – and Reverend Phillips – “for we realise that our life in this world is actually his life lived in us”.  The content of this “dish” has not changed, but my appreciation of its presentation and flavors has!  Of course, I know that I am in Christ and He is in me, but hearing it stated in different terms, from different perspectives, creating a different picture, makes it all the more real to me.

When God “looks down” on the earth and sees me, He no longer sees Liz the merely human creation but rather sees Liz in Christ and Christ in Liz.  I have the same welcome into His presence that Jesus does.  I have the same life flowing in me that energized Jesus’ life, ministry and resurrection.  This is a truly arresting thought!  What am I doing with all of this privilege, all this life?  Am I praying like I have this life in me, believing and expecting God to hear and the Holy Ghost to move, or am I praying only hoping against hope that He will?  These verses are telling me that, like David, I need to run toward my giants, knowing that God is with me, for me and empowering me to overcome them.

Prayer

Lord God of Hosts, Savior, Teacher, One Who gives me courage, strength and the wisdom to hear You and obey, I ask You to wake me up, shake me to my core, fill me up with the confidence that what You say You will do in and through me.  I want that boldness of David running toward Goliath with only a sling and 5 smooth stones because he knew You were going to fight the battle if he would only obey.  I ask it all in the name of Jesus.  Amen.