In my last post on Perichoretic Salvation, I received a thoughtful and encouraging comment from a reader named Wesley. His response beautifully captured what I hoped readers would take away from that piece—a sense of awe at the relational beauty of God.

With his permission, I want to share his comment in full:

“I’m very glad to see that the book had a similar effect on you than it did on me. I ended up marveling at the beauty of God.

You quote 1 John 4:16 from the NLT, the Greek word used is abide. If you do a word study of abide in the Bible it will blow your mind, especially if you keep in mind the perichoretic context.

Next step – School of the Spirit by Lee Cummings. Much easier to read than Gifford, but analytic types like me need the perichoretic context first for it to make sense.

Overall I really liked the article, I pray that a lot of people read it.

— Wesley”

I love Wesley’s comment for several reasons. First, his use of the word “marveling” captures something I think theology often forgets: that our study of God should lead not only to understanding but to wonder. We can analyze and debate all day, but if we never arrive at awe, we’ve missed the heart of it.

Second, his note about the word abide is profoundly insightful. The Greek term μένω (menō), used in 1 John 4:16—“God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him”—is not a passive word. It means to dwell, to remain, to stay intimately connected. It’s the language of relationship, not residence.

And when we place abide within a perichoretic context, as Wesley suggests, the meaning deepens exponentially. To abide in God’s love is to dwell within the divine dance—to live in the very circulation of Trinitarian love that Gifford describes. It’s not just that we rest in God; it’s that we are caught up in the ongoing movement of His relational life. We don’t simply believe in God’s love; we inhabit it.

Finally, Wesley points toward another work, School of the Spirit by Lee Cummings, which I now have on my reading list. I’m intrigued by his comment that analytic minds need the perichoretic context first. I suspect he’s right—without that relational lens, the life of the Spirit can easily be reduced to emotional experience or abstract theology. But within the perichoretic frame, spirituality becomes what it was always meant to be: participation in divine love.

Wesley’s comment has encouraged me to continue this exploration—especially his suggestion about studying the biblical concept of abiding. I plan to take up that word study soon and share what I find. If perichoresis revealed the dance of divine love, perhaps abiding will show us how to live within it.

Thank you, Wesley, for your thoughtful reflection and your kind words of encouragement. I pray that your insight will inspire others—as it did me—to marvel again at the beauty of a God who not only loves us but invites us to abide in that love.

Excerpt

A reader’s comment on Perichoretic Salvation opened new doors for reflection on the biblical meaning of abide—a word that, when placed in the perichoretic context, reveals how deeply we are invited into the living relationship of divine love.