1 John 4:7-12
Love originates in God, is revealed decisively in the sending of His Son as atoning sacrifice, and is brought to maturity among believers as they love one another.
7 Beloved, let’s love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God.
8 He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love.
9 By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us.
Love originates in God, is revealed decisively in the sending of His Son as atoning sacrifice, and is brought to maturity among believers as they love one another.
To ground the command to love in God’s own nature and redemptive action, demonstrating that Christian love flows from divine initiative.
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.