1 John Chapter 4
1 John Chapter 4
Abiding in God and His Love
A. The Spirit of Truth and Protection Against the Spirit of Error
1. (1 John 4:1) The fact of false prophets and the need to test the spirits.
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1, NKJV)
John’s tone is pastoral—he begins with “Beloved,” a term of affection—but his warning is deadly serious. We are commanded not to be gullible in spiritual matters. Not every spirit or prophet that speaks in the name of God truly represents Him. The testing of spirits is a mandate, not a suggestion. This is especially urgent because “many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
Chuck Missler emphasizes the reality of the spiritual warfare at hand. He notes that the Greek word for “test” (dokimazō) was used of assaying metals to prove their quality. Christians are not to naively accept every spiritual claim but must assay the spirits against the authoritative standard: the Word of God.
John is not referring to skepticism or critical spirit but rather to discernment—rooted in truth, sharpened by Scripture, and led by the Holy Spirit. False prophets are not merely misguided—they are often sent out with satanic purpose, infiltrating the Church with lies masked as truth.
2. (1 John 4:2–3) How to know when a false prophet speaks.
"By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.
And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." (1 John 4:2–3, NKJV)
The litmus test for spirits is Christological: Who is Jesus? The true Spirit of God confesses that “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.” The Greek implies a once-and-for-all coming—the incarnation. In John’s day, Gnostic and Docetic heresies denied that Jesus had a real physical body. These false teachers claimed He only appeared to be human, separating the divine Christ from the man Jesus. But John, who had touched and seen the Lord (1 John 1:1), refutes this emphatically.
Missler identifies this denial of the incarnation as the hallmark of the Antichrist spirit. “Antichrist” means both against Christ and in place of Christ. Any teaching that distorts the full deity and full humanity of Jesus Christ is not a minor doctrinal error—it is satanic. The incarnation is essential because only a perfect, sinless man—who is also God—could serve as the substitutionary atonement for mankind’s sin.
Today, many still acknowledge Jesus in name but deny His nature. Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, liberal theologians, and Islamic views all fall short of this confession. As Missler remarks, “It doesn’t matter how spiritual something sounds. If it presents a false Christ, it is demonic.”
3. (1 John 4:4) The protection of the child of God.
"You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4, NKJV)
John’s words bring comfort and courage. Though deception is rampant and the spirit of Antichrist is present, believers are not powerless. We have overcome because of the One who indwells us: the Holy Spirit. “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”
This promise is not about personal strength but about divine presence. We overcome not by merit, but by relationship. Satan is powerful, but God is omnipotent. The indwelling Spirit (John 14:17; Romans 8:9) ensures our victory if we walk by faith.
Missler connects this with spiritual warfare language from Ephesians 6, reminding believers that discernment and doctrinal integrity are part of our armor. He warns, however, that failure to abide in truth makes Christians vulnerable to deception. The victory is assured, but only for those walking in the Spirit.
4. (1 John 4:5–6) The contrast between the world and the apostles.
"They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.
We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us.
By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." (1 John 4:5–6, NKJV)
False teachers resonate with worldly values—they are accepted and even celebrated by the world because they speak the world’s language. Their teachings flatter the flesh, deny sin, and promote self. By contrast, true apostles speak from God and are heard only by those born of God.
This is a dividing line: those who know God are drawn to the truth of the apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2:42). Those who are of the world reject it. As Missler notes, “Sound doctrine never gains applause from the unregenerate heart.” The world listens to lies because it hates the light.
The final clause is critical: “By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” The test is not popularity or appearance but alignment with apostolic doctrine—the New Testament revelation of Jesus Christ.
4. (1 John 4:5–6) The contrast between those in the world and those who are of God.
“They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (1 John 4:5–6, NKJV)
The Apostle John makes a categorical distinction between the false prophets and true teachers of God. Those who are “of the world” derive their message and methods from the world system—defined earlier in this epistle as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (see 1 John 2:16). Because they echo worldly values and philosophies, “the world hears them”—that is, they are accepted and affirmed by society at large.
Chuck Missler notes the shift in tone in this chapter. The apostle moves from a general admonition about discerning spirits to a clear test of spiritual alignment: do they align with apostolic truth? Missler links verse 6 directly to Acts 17:11, where the Bereans are commended for checking Paul’s words against Scripture. The spiritual health of the believer is tested by whether or not they hear the apostolic witness recorded in Scripture.
John states, “We are of God,” referring specifically to the apostolic band and their inspired teachings. Those who know God—those truly born again—will hear the voice of the apostles. Conversely, those who reject Scripture are demonstrating that they are not of God. The ultimate test of spiritual truth is not popularity or emotional experience, but doctrinal fidelity to the apostolic record preserved in Scripture.
This is how “we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” Error is not merely academic; it is spiritual. It is fueled by demonic deception (see 1 Timothy 4:1). As Missler stresses, the battlefield is epistemological—how we know what is true. And that test is measured by one’s response to divine revelation.
B. Love Perfected Among Us
1. (1 John 4:7–8) The call to love.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7–8, NKJV)
John now turns from testing spirits to testing the fruit of the believer. The true believer, born of God, will demonstrate the love of God—agapē—toward others. This love is not natural affection or sentimentalism, but a supernatural, self-giving, sacrificial love that originates from God Himself.
The Greek text is emphatic: “agapētōi agapōmen”—“those who are loved, let us love.” We are commanded to love because we have first been recipients of divine love (see 1 John 4:19). This love is not a prerequisite to earning God’s favor—it is a reflection of having been transformed by it.
Missler points out that verse 7 presents the fourth time John uses the term “born of God” in the letter (see 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1). Each reference describes a different result of the new birth. Here, love for others is a non-negotiable result of being spiritually reborn.
John then makes a blunt doctrinal statement: “He who does not love does not know God.” There is no middle ground. Loveless Christianity is a contradiction in terms. It doesn’t matter how sound one’s theology is—if love is absent, so is the evidence of genuine conversion.
And why is this so? “For God is love.” This is not merely saying that love is an attribute of God—it is central to His very nature. It defines His actions, His essence, and how He reveals Himself (cf. John 3:16). But, as Missler rightly notes, “God is love” does not equal “love is God.” That would be idolatrous and dangerously reductive.
Missler emphasizes that this divine love is not permissiveness or softness; rather, it is always coupled with truth and righteousness. The same God who is love is also holy, righteous, and just (Isaiah 6:3; Psalm 89:14). His love does not negate His moral standards—it fulfills them in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
John’s theology is not abstract—it is practical. He ties our understanding of God to how we treat our fellow believers. The vertical and the horizontal must align. As such, loving one another is not optional. It is evidence of regeneration.
2. (1 John 4:9–11) The meaning of love and its application
"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. 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. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (1 John 4:9–11, NKJV)
This passage brings out the essence of Christian love by pointing to its source—God Himself—and its manifestation—the sending of Jesus Christ. The love of God is not abstract or theoretical; it is historical, sacrificial, and incarnational.
a. “In this the love of God was manifested toward us”
God’s love is not hidden or speculative—it was revealed openly, tangibly, and decisively at the cross. Love is not merely a sentiment; it is manifested (Greek: phaneróō)—made visible, demonstrated. According to Missler, this is the definitive expression of divine love in human history. As he explains, “God doesn’t just have love. God is love. It is His nature.”
The phrase “has sent His only begotten Son” (Greek: monogenēs) emphasizes Christ’s uniqueness—He is not one among many; He is the only, of the same essence as the Father. He is not a created being, but the eternal Son, fully divine.
b. “That we might live through Him”
The purpose of God’s love is not merely to forgive, but to give life. As John stated earlier, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). This life is not simply eternal in duration, but spiritual in nature—a restored relationship with the living God. Missler stresses that “we were spiritually dead,” and the love of God brought about resurrection through union with Christ.
c. “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us”
This counters any notion of human initiative. The starting point of redemption is not our love for God, but God’s sovereign love for us. He initiated the relationship when we were still in rebellion. As Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Chuck Missler emphasizes that human love is reactive, but divine love is proactive—it moves first, without condition. This is agapē—not based on worthiness, but on the unchanging character of God.
d. “Sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins”
This is the heart of substitutionary atonement. The word propitiation (hilasmos) refers to the turning away of wrath through a sacrificial offering. God is not unjust to overlook sin—His justice is satisfied by the blood of Christ. Missler notes that this is the same theological concept found in Leviticus 16—the mercy seat sprinkled with blood on the Day of Atonement. Jesus is the fulfillment of that picture, once for all.
e. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another”
This is the moral imperative rooted in theological truth. Having received love of such magnitude, the only logical and spiritual response is to reflect that love toward others. The word “ought” (opheilomen) implies a moral obligation, a debt owed—not to earn salvation, but as the fitting expression of those who have been born of God.
Missler ties this directly to John 13:34: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you.” This love is not based on the worthiness of the recipient but flows from the nature of God implanted within us by the Holy Spirit.
3. (1 John 4:12) The invisible God made visible in love
“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” (1 John 4:12, NKJV)
This verse bridges the invisible God with the visible manifestation of His love among believers.
a. “No one has seen God at any time”
This assertion—also found in John 1:18—reminds us that God the Father is spirit (John 4:24) and invisible (1 Timothy 1:17). His essence is beyond physical perception. Even Moses, who spoke with God “face to face,” was only permitted a veiled glimpse (Exodus 33:20–23).
Missler notes this as a reminder of our limitations: man is not capable of fully apprehending divine glory. Any so-called vision of “God” must be measured against the standard that “no one has seen God at any time”—except through His revelation in Christ (John 1:18).
b. “If we love one another, God abides in us”
Though God is invisible, His presence is made manifest when believers walk in agapē love. This is not merely emotional affection, but self-sacrificing, truth-anchored, Spirit-empowered love. God’s indwelling Spirit is seen not through mystical experience, but through the love that flows through the Body of Christ.
Missler notes: “The clearest evidence of the Spirit’s work in a believer is not tongues, visions, or miracles—but love.”
c. “His love has been perfected in us”
The word translated “perfected” (teleioō) does not mean flawless, but matured, completed, brought to its goal. God’s love reaches its intended purpose when it flows through us to others. His love is not meant to terminate on us, but to be channelled—just as Christ gave Himself for us, we are to give ourselves for others (Ephesians 5:2).
1 John 4:13–15 — Assurance of the Work of the Triune God in Us
“By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” (1 John 4:13–15, NKJV)
John now moves to reassure believers that this fellowship of love is not based on emotion or guesswork—it is grounded in divine action and Trinitarian involvement.
a. “By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us”
This is the third time in this epistle that the apostle emphasizes how a believer can know their abiding relationship with God. The word “know” indicates a deep, experiential certainty, not mere intellectual assent. God has not left His people to doubt their salvation. He provides evidence, not just comfort. The context makes it clear: the ongoing, practical expression of love and the presence of the Holy Spirit are signs that we are in Him, and He in us.
b. “Because He has given us of His Spirit”
This is not a subjective feeling, but a theological fact. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee of our relationship with God (Ephesians 1:13–14). The Holy Spirit makes the presence of Christ real within the believer and produces fruit consistent with God’s nature—especially love (Galatians 5:22). It is also through the Spirit that we discern truth, confess Jesus rightly, and walk in fellowship.
Romans 8:16 declares, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” That internal witness is a primary basis for our assurance.
c. “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world”
The apostolic witness confirms that Jesus Christ was not only truly man and truly God, but that His coming was not random or optional—it was a divine mission. The Father sent the Son. This is not a myth or an ideal—it is historical reality. The statement “Savior of the world” underscores the scope and sufficiency of Christ’s redemptive work. It is not universalism, but universal availability—salvation is offered to all, though only effectual for those who believe.
This declaration also affirms both the person and work of Christ: He is the Son, and He is the Savior. One must receive both truths.
d. “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God”
Confession here is not just verbal acknowledgment—it is agreement and submission. The Greek term implies not just stating, but consenting to the truth. This is a vital distinction. Many people know facts about Jesus but do not yield to the truth of who He is.
To confess Jesus as the Son of God is to accept His divine nature, His authority, His mission, and His exclusive role as Redeemer. This confession is both doctrinal and relational. It reflects not only intellectual clarity but spiritual transformation.
This verse shows that abiding in God is inseparable from the right confession of Christ. The indwelling presence of God is connected to the truthful acknowledgment of the Son.
1 John 4:16 — The Christian’s Response to God and His Love
“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.
God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16, NKJV)
Having established God’s initiative in salvation and His indwelling presence by the Spirit, John now returns to the subjective experience and response of the believer.
a. “We have known and believed the love that God has for us”
This statement reflects a dual reality: knowledge and trust. The believer does not merely know God’s love intellectually—they have tasted it, experienced it, and placed their faith in it. That personal conviction becomes the foundation of abiding fellowship. This is the believer’s resting place: not in performance, but in the settled confidence of God’s love demonstrated at the cross and confirmed by the Spirit.
Notice that this love is “the love that God has for us”—not the love we try to muster up for God. The emphasis is on God's initiative, His nature, His actions. It is not about loving Him first, but believing that He loves us.
This kind of assurance excludes both spiritual pride and despair. It silences the voice that says, “I’m too sinful to be loved,” as well as the voice that says, “I’m lovable enough without Him.”
b. “God is love”
This is the second time this declaration appears (see 1 John 4:8), anchoring the entire discourse. God does not simply feel love; He is love in His essence. Every action of God—whether grace, judgment, discipline, or blessing—is rooted in love. Love is not the only attribute of God, but it is one that permeates and qualifies all others.
To abide in love, therefore, is to dwell in the very presence and character of God. This is not sentimentalism. It is a Spirit-empowered, truth-anchored life that reflects the reality of God's own nature.
c. “He who abides in love abides in God, and God in him”
To abide in love is to remain, dwell, and continue in a posture of sacrificial, Spirit-enabled affection toward others. It is the clearest mark of abiding in God—not because love earns salvation, but because love reveals it.
This is the ongoing life of the believer: loving others because God’s love has filled and transformed them. Where this kind of love is absent, abiding is in question. Where this love is growing, abiding is evident.
2. Assurance of the Work of the Triune God in Us (1 John 4:13–15)
“By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”
—1 John 4:13–15, NKJV
This passage anchors our assurance of salvation in the personal presence of the Holy Spirit and the unified testimony of the Triune God—Father, Son, and Spirit.
“By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” This is not mere guesswork. The Greek emphasizes an ongoing, experiential knowledge: we know we are abiding in Him. That knowledge comes through the indwelling Holy Spirit—the very seal of our salvation (Ephesians 1:13–14). The Apostle Paul affirms in Romans 8:16, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” This inner testimony is not a vague feeling but a supernatural assurance.
The witness continues: “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.” The apostles, as eyewitnesses, give a twofold declaration. First, they saw—they beheld Christ’s incarnation, ministry, death, and resurrection. Second, they testify—they proclaim this truth publicly and without shame. The fact that Jesus Christ was sent by the Father as the Savior of the world echoes John 3:17: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” Confession here is not a casual admission; it is homologeo—“to say the same thing,” to agree with God. This confession is not merely verbal; it is rooted in doctrinal and personal submission to Christ’s deity and Lordship. Confession is the outward evidence of the inward presence of God. This is not optional. As Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
3. The Christian’s Response to God’s Love (1 John 4:16)
“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”
—1 John 4:16, NKJV
Our part in this relationship with God is both to know and to believe the love He has for us. These are not academic truths alone; they are meant to be lived realities. The word for known implies experiential knowledge—we don’t just hear that God loves us; we encounter that love personally. And we believe it—we hold fast to it even when we don’t feel it, even when trials test our faith.
Spurgeon commented, “To feel God’s love is very precious, but to believe it when you do not feel it, is the noblest.” This is what walking by faith looks like.
The verse concludes with one of the most profound theological truths in the New Testament: “God is love.” This is not to say that love defines God, but that God's nature is perfectly loving in all His acts and essence. He is the source and standard of love. Thus, “he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” The believer’s ongoing, obedient walk in love is proof of union with God.
4. The Perfecting of Love: Now and in the Day of Judgment (1 John 4:17–18)
“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
—1 John 4:17–18, NKJV
This is astonishing: “Love has been perfected among us in this…” The Greek for “perfected” is teleioō, and John uses the form indicating that love has reached its full maturity—“completely complete.” The clearest sign of this maturity is boldness in the day of judgment.
Imagine that: standing before the throne of God not with fear and trembling, but with confidence. This is not arrogance, but assurance. Why? “Because as He is, so are we in this world.” Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, righteous, justified, accepted. And if we are in Him, then spiritually speaking, we share in that identity now (Ephesians 2:6).
This kind of boldness is diametrically opposed to tormenting fear. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.” Fear and love are incompatible in the context of our relationship with God. This is not referring to reverent fear—Scripture commands us to “fear God” in the sense of awe and obedience (Ecclesiastes 12:13; 1 Peter 2:17). Rather, this is the dread of judgment, the fear that torments and condemns.
The believer who still lives in fear of judgment has not been “made perfect in love.” That is, they have not fully matured in the understanding and experience of God’s love. All judgment due to us was poured out on Christ. As Romans 8:1 declares, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.”
5. The Source of Our Love for God (1 John 4:19)
“We love Him because He first loved us.”
—1 John 4:19, NKJV
This one verse is a theological summit. It explains not only why we love God, but how it is even possible for us to love Him at all.
“We love Him…” This is the mark of a true believer. No regenerated heart can remain neutral toward Christ. Spurgeon once said, “Show me a fire without heat, then show me regeneration that does not produce love to God.” Our love may falter, our zeal may wax and wane, but the fundamental disposition of the believer is love for Christ.
“…because He first loved us.” This is the divine order: He initiates, we respond. As Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” We did not meet God halfway. He pursued us when we were lost, dead, and hostile.
And it was not a passive love. It was an incarnate, atoning, redeeming love. Jesus loved us when we were at our worst. As Spurgeon declared, “He loved you when you were at hell’s gate, and drank damnation at every draught. He loved you when you could not have been worse.”
This love draws us to Him, melts our hearts, and compels us to obedience and worship. As 2 Corinthians 5:14 reminds us, “For the love of Christ compels us…” The more we meditate on His love, the more our love is stirred in return.
This is not emotionalism. It is worship rooted in truth. “We love Him because He first loved us.”
2. (1 John 4:13–15) Assurance of the work of the Triune God in us.
"By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God."
The believer does not merely rely on emotion or tradition for assurance of salvation. Rather, we know we abide in Him because He has given us of His Spirit. This is a direct and experiential confirmation. The Holy Spirit is the personal and indwelling witness who affirms our relationship with God. As Romans 8:16 states, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
The apostolic testimony affirms that “the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.” This is the foundational message of Christianity: God took the initiative in sending His Son into the world for the salvation of humanity. It is not merely a doctrinal statement, but a historic truth that demands a personal response.
Therefore, "whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God." Confession here implies both acknowledgment and agreement—it is not just mental assent, but spiritual submission. One cannot claim to know God while denying or distorting the identity of Jesus Christ. It is through this confession, rooted in truth and empowered by the Spirit, that we come into mutual abiding—God in us, and us in God.
3. (1 John 4:16) The Christian’s response to God and His love.
"And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him."
The Christian experience is not marked by uncertainty, but by knowledge and belief—"we have known and believed the love that God has for us." This speaks to a settled trust and confident rest in the character of God. Many people may know about God’s love, but the believer knows it personally and believes it fully.
This belief is not shallow sentiment but a deep conviction. As Romans 8:38–39 affirms, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come… shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God is love, and His love becomes the defining environment for those who abide in Him. Just as a fish lives in water and draws its life from it, so the believer is to abide in the love of God, drawing all spiritual vitality from Him.
4. (1 John 4:17–18) The perfecting of love, both now and in eternity.
"Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."
This is a powerful declaration of the full work of God’s love in the life of the believer. Love is not static or partial; it is perfected—or brought to completion—when it produces boldness in the believer, even in the face of final judgment. This boldness is not rooted in self-confidence but in identity—“as He is, so are we in this world.”
Jesus Christ now stands glorified, righteous, and seated at the right hand of the Father. And because the believer is “in Christ,” this is the spiritual standing we also share. It is not arrogance to say we will face the day of judgment with boldness—it is biblical truth for those born again. Colossians 3:3–4 confirms this: “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
Thus, “there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.” The fear referenced here is not reverence but torment—fear of condemnation, of wrath, of being found guilty. The true believer does not cower under such fear because the full penalty of sin was poured out on Christ at Calvary. As Isaiah 53:5 declares, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”
If one still fears judgment, it is because love has not yet reached full maturity in them. The closer we grow in love toward God, the more we understand that judgment has already been settled at the cross.
5. (1 John 4:19) The reason for our love to Jesus.
"We love Him because He first loved us."
This brief statement reveals the entire economy of the believer’s love. Our love is not original—it is responsive. We love Him only because He loved us first. His love is the fountain; ours is the stream. We did not begin this relationship—God did.
As Romans 5:8 powerfully says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Before we had any inclination toward Him, God had already set His love upon us.
Furthermore, this verse corrects false teaching which suggests that we must earn God's love or produce it through our own effort. Love is born out of understanding grace. Ephesians 2:4–5 echoes this truth: “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us… made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”
The love that we show is the natural outflow of having truly received and believed God's love for us. It is not mere sentiment—it is the supernatural fruit of the Spirit.
6. (1 John 4:20–21) The commandment to love.
"If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also."
This is one of the clearest statements in Scripture concerning the relationship between love for God and love for others. Mere profession is not sufficient. If a man claims to love God but harbors hate toward a fellow believer, Scripture calls him a liar.
True love for God must manifest itself in love for the brethren. It is easy to claim affection for the invisible God, but that claim is tested in how we treat those made in His image and reborn by His Spirit. As James 2:15–17 warns, “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
The love that is required is not sentimental but sacrificial. It reflects the love shown by Christ, who laid down His life. And this is not merely a suggestion—it is a commandment from God. As Jesus stated in John 13:34–35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Therefore, the person who genuinely loves God will necessarily—and obediently—love others. This kind of love is the mark of spiritual maturity and proof of abiding in Him.
