It is God's will to believe in Jesus the way you believe in God. The new commandment is to love like Jesus did and does. Anyone who receives (accepts) Jesus receives the one who sent him. God glorified Jesus into himself after God was glorified in him. We know and believe the love God has in us because of Jesus and the one who dwells in Christ's love resides in Christ and Christ in him as well as God in Christ and in us through him.
To dwell in God and have God dwell in you, involves a few key principles:
- Faith in Jesus as the Way to God (John 14:1): Jesus says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me." This suggests that trusting in Jesus, as you trust in God, is foundational. It’s an invitation to see Jesus as the bridge to the Father, aligning your heart and mind with his identity as the Son of God.
- Loving as Jesus Loves (John 13:34): "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." To dwell in God is to embody the sacrificial, selfless love Jesus demonstrated. This love isn’t just an emotion but an active choice, reflecting God’s attributes, since "God is love" (1 John 4:16).
- Receiving Jesus to Receive God (John 13:20): "Whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me." Accepting Jesus—his teachings, his life, his sacrifice—means welcoming God into your being. It’s a relational act of openness to the divine presence.
- Mutual Glorification and Indwelling (John 13:31-32, John 17:23, 26): Jesus speaks of God being glorified in him and him in God, culminating in a union where believers are drawn into this divine relationship. John 17:23 emphasizes, "I in them and you in me," showing a interconnectedness—God in Christ, Christ in us, and us in God. This is perfected through love and faith.
- Abiding in Love (1 John 4:16, John 14:23): "We have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." Dwelling in God happens when you live in love, trusting in God’s love for you through Christ. John 14:23 adds, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." Obedience to Jesus’ teachings and love for him invite God’s presence to reside within.
In essence, to dwell in God and have God dwell in you is to know and believe and dwell in Christ's love who reveals God's love and live in a dynamic relationship with Jesus, rooted in faith and expressed through love. It’s a mutual indwelling of love and glory where your life becomes a reflection of Christ’s, and through him, God’s presence fills you.