LOVE COMES FROM GOD

Passage: 1 John 4:7-21

Key verse: 10

NIV

God’s Love and Ours

7 Dear friends, let us love one another,(A) for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God(B) and knows God.(C) 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.(D) 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son(E) into the world that we might live through him.(F) 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us(G) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.(H) 11 Dear friends,(I) since God so loved us,(J) we also ought to love one another.(K) 12 No one has ever seen God;(L) but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.(M)

13 This is how we know(N) that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.(O) 14 And we have seen and testify(P) that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.(Q) 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,(R) God lives in them and they in God.(S) 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love.(T) Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.(U) 17 This is how love is made complete(V) among us so that we will have confidence(W) on the day of judgment:(X) In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,(Y) because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19 We love because he first loved us.(Z) 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister(AA) is a liar.(AB) For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen,(AC) cannot love God, whom they have not seen.(AD) 21 And he has given us this command:(AE) Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.(AF)

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

God Is Love

7 Beloved, (A)let us love one another, for love is from God, and (B)whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 (C)Anyone who does not love does not know God, because (D)God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that (E)God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, (F)not that we have loved God (G)but that he loved us and sent his Son to be (H)the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 (I)No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and (J)his love is perfected in us.

13 (K)By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And (L)we have seen and testify that (M)the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of (N)the world. 15 (O)Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So (P)we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. (Q)God is love, and (R)whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this (S)is love perfected with us, so that (T)we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because (U)as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but (V)perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not (W)been perfected in love. 19 (X)We love because he first loved us. 20 (Y)If anyone says, “I love God,” and (Z)hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot[a] love God (AA)whom he has not seen. 21 And (AB)this commandment we have from him: (AC)whoever loves God must also love his brother.

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Footnotes
  1. 1 John 4:20 Some manuscripts how can he
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

Love is mentioned 22 times in these 15 verses. People make tremendous efforts to love and to be loved. No matter how hard we try, we cannot get love or love others completely. Rather love comes from God. Those who love are born of God and know God. This is how God showed his love: God sent his Son Jesus so that we might live through him. This is how we know what love is: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and gave his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Realizing his great love, we should open our hearts to love others. Then, we can see God and he lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

We feel like dying when we struggle to love those we can’t love. When we repent our pride and hold onto Jesus’ grace and love, God is born in our hearts, and we experience the power of his love. Whoever loves lives in God, and God in them.

Moreover, those who love others have no fear. Perfect love drives out fear. Moreover, we no longer hate others. We love God, we believe in Jesus, and we can forgive and love others.

Prayer: Lord, please help me to accept your love through Jesus and love others with your love.

One Word: God loved us so that we can love others