1 John 4:7-21

New American Standard Bible

God Is Love

^7 (A)Beloved, let’s ^(B)love one another; for love is from God, and ^(C)everyone who loves has been ^(D)born of God and ^(E)knows God. ⁸ The one who does not love does not know God, because ^(F)God is love. ⁹ By this the love of God was revealed ^[a](G)in us, that ^(H)God has sent His only Son into the world so that we may live through Him. ¹⁰ In this is love, ^(I)not that we loved God, but that ^(J)He loved us and sent His Son to be ^(K)the ^[b]propitiation for our sins. ^11 (L)Beloved, if God so loved us, ^(M)we also ought to love one another. ^12 (N)No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God remains in us, and His ^(O)love is perfected in us. ^13 (P)By this we know that we remain in Him and He in us, because He has given to us of His Spirit. ¹⁴ We have seen and ^(Q)testify that the Father has ^(R)sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

^15 (S)Whoever confesses that ^(T)Jesus is the Son of God, God ^(U)remains in him, and he in God. ^16 (V)We have come to know and have believed the love which God has ^[c](W)for us. ^(X)God is love, and the one who ^(Y)remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. ¹⁷ By this, ^(Z)love is perfected with us, so that we may have ^(AA)confidence in ^(AB)the day of judgment; because ^(AC)as He is, we also are in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love, but ^(AD)perfect love drives out fear, because fear ^[d]involves punishment, and the one who fears is not ^(AE)perfected in love. ^19 (AF)We love, because He first loved us. ^20 (AG)If someone says, “I love God,” and yet he ^(AH)hates his brother or sister, he is a ^(AI)liar; for ^(AJ)the one who does not love his brother and sister whom he has seen, ^(AK)cannot love God, whom he has not seen. ²¹ And ^(AL)this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God ^(AM)must also love his brother and sister.