1 John 3:24
"Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us."
The joy of abiding in the presence of Christ is the sole domain of the believer. No other faith claims to abide in the presence of God. Only through faith in Jesus Christ is the Spirit's touch bestowed upon the believer, granting the believer an audience with God.
John explains that we can know we are of the family of God by the abiding presence of the Spirit. We don't know we are of faith by saying the right prayer, or by confessing our sins to a priest, or following the Lord in baptism. We can only know our presence with Christ by the Spirit.
To the believer, the Spirit speaks – of the reality of our faith. For the believer, the Spirit brings power – to obey Christ's commandments. Within the believer, the Spirit convicts of sin – drawing us back to the Lord for cleansing. The Spirit is the reality of the life that is in Christ.
The first sentence of this verse seems to have a dual meaning. Not only does it proclaim that those who keep Christ's commands belong to the Lord, but I believe it also says that as we keep the Lord's commandments, we will more fully know the Spirit's abiding presence.
So if you want to know the Spirit's presence, seek the Lord's commands, and practice a life of obedience.
LORD JESUS
Lord, I thank you for the abiding presence of your Spirit, testifying of the life that belongs to you. May we be obedient to you in all things, strengthening this abiding relationship. Amen.
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