1 John 4:17-21
God’s love reaches maturity among believers by producing confidence for the day of judgment, casting out fear, and compelling genuine love for brothers and sisters.
17 In this love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so we are in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
21 This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.
God’s love reaches maturity among believers by producing confidence for the day of judgment, casting out fear, and compelling genuine love for brothers and sisters.
To show that perfected love results in bold assurance before God and exposes the inconsistency of claiming to love God while hating fellow believers.
Testing the Spirits, Confessing the Son, and Abiding in God’s Love
True life in God confesses Jesus Christ come in the flesh, receives apostolic truth, abides in God’s saving love, and proves love for God by loving fellow believers.