1 John 4:7–11

 ⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸ He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹ In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten 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 to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Commentary

Vs. 7-8 ⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸ He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

With such strong imperatives to live righteous lives, and to be discerning in this dark and evil world, we can lose sight of the ultimate goal of our common salvation and that is to be God’s people of love (1 Cor. 13). For this is the Essential Nature of our God and Savior, and thus is the mark of every true Christian who has been born again by faith in Him. Therefore, the Apostle John now reiterates this fact, calling us all who believe in Jesus Christ to love one another, “…for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” ^{Vs. 7} Therefore, to not love the brethren whom the Apostle John calls us all as Beloved is to not know God, for God is love.

Vs. 9-11 ⁹ In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten 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 to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

 In stating that God is love, the Apostle John now looks back to how God’s love was first manifested to us all, how He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ into the world; a world that was full of hatred and wrath towards Him; so that we might live through Him, live through the power of His Resurrection from the dead by which He brings us to life and then empowers us by His Spirit to live Godly lives of love. For without the Lord Jesus Christ first coming into this evil world and demonstrating God’s own love for us by suffering Death on the Cross no one would’ve been saved. But now that He has provided the propitiation for our sins, something which He did while we were still enemies of His, thus demonstrating His love for us all (Rom. 5:8), He has made known and manifested God’s love for us all. Therefore Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another, which we do when we care for, forgive, and reconcile with each other. These simply things then should not be burdensome for any of us to do, given the depths of Christ’s Love and Sacrifice for us all in bringing God’s love to us all. Therefore, beloved brethren let us all then exemplify the same love towards each other.

Scripture Quotations 

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.