We have anticipated v. 12. It teaches us not to sit as scholars, but as worshippers in the presence of the Divine glory—that impenetrable veil. “No man hath seen God at any time.” Jesus said, “not that any man hath seen,” etc. When Jesus says this, we can say, ‘Thou hast seen the Father, Thou hast been in the secret of that light impenetrable to all save Thyself; “the light that no man can approach unto.’” Jesus was in that light which was impenetrable to creation, and if He had not been God, He could not have been there.
Now if we love one another, we are partakers of the Spirit; and if we are partakers of the Spirit, we have the nature of God. God dwelleth in us by His Spirit.
Verse 14. —And by the light of this new nature God is revealed in perfect love, and we can “ testify that the Father sent the Son,” etc. God has through Christ a twofold connection with this world. He has a connection with this world because of Christ-demanding, as another has said, “What have you done with my Son?” God asked of Cain, “Where is Abel thy brother?” What has the world done with Jesus? This is the controversy. But again, salvation is come through Christ; God has sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world. Wonderful it is, to see these things all clustering round Christ.
Verse 15. —We have the text of confession of Christ as a proof of the indwelling Spirit. To be sure we have. What said Jesus to Peter? “Whom do men say that I am?” “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That is not a revelation of flesh and blood, it is the revelation of the Father. So he that confesses that Jesus is the Christ, dwelled in God, and God in Him. It is a direct, personal dealing with the soul by the Father of lights, this revelation, which carries the knowledge of the Son into the heart. The Spirit delights to linger here, and, to speak as a man, we must excuse Him for it. He has reached the highest heights, and He cannot but linger there. You think there is repetition? Be it so—it is repetition ever grateful to our ears. The Divine Spirit speaks of the Divine nature. He tarries, and invites us to tarry with Him.
Verse 16. — If I can look in the face of Jesus of Nazareth and say, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” can that be accounted otherwise than by perfect love? It is well to have this re-asserted, for where do you dwell but in love? Can you dwell in power? Never! The throne may have power, but love has a bosom! John could rest on the bosom of Jesus, and we in eternal love. Nowhere but in eternal love! Nowhere but in love find a home! Our communion is in the apprehension of love. Our communion is not with God as a Judge, but as Love. And we are conscious of relationship.
We have love with us, and love in us. Here it is with us, and perfect, if we love one another. A poor perfection, indeed, if compared with the love of God, though good enough for poor creatures-a perfection far outshone (v. 12). Perfection in us is a poor thing when compared to perfection in God (v. 17); which gives those who were His enemies boldness to stand before Him in the day of judgment, with an answer for every demand of the throne. That is the Gospel! Grace has made provision whereby a rebel can stand in the judgment with an answer in his mouth. I love my brethren! No thanks to me. Ah! how the Divine nature outshines me! I defy your imagination to conceive anything finer. The offended God provides His rebel creatures with an answer to His own demands! We see this in Noah, Egypt, and Rahab.
And now what have we to do with judgment? We can measure it, for our righteousness is resplendent as the throne itself. Righteousness is seated on the throne, and the very same righteousness has invested me; for if Christ is the righteousness of God, He is my righteousness also. This righteousness is on me, so I can challenge the throne in my person. The throne has righteousness, so have I. So instead of a controversy, we have communion; we have fellowship, for we have the same glory—Christ. As a matter, then, of course, we have boldness in the day of judgment.
In verse 10 you have the underived love of God; in you love is derived, and there was nothing in you to attract love but your misery.
Verse 19 shows this love in you is only a reflection, it is but a response. In God love originated, and this is well. It is well that the glory of the creation should be co-ordinate with the glory of the Creator. Well we may excuse these varied echoes of truth. The first speaks of place in God for you.
Verse 20. — The brother is supposed to be a reflection of Christ. He is not looked at by the Spirit in his own muddy, turbid condition, but as a reflection of God. Now if you do not love the reflection, how can you love the original? It is not a mere exhortation, but a command to love. The commandment makes the right thing the obedient thing. Suppose you love without minding the commandment, you are doing the right thing, but not the obedient thing.
Having ascended from the person to the nature, we here find commands suited to that nature as communicated to us. And we find a rest and a dwelling-place for the eternal satisfaction of the heart. We are introduced to His glory in His Son, we glory in it; we hear of His moral character, and find it all manifested in Jesus.