1 John 4:7-21

New King James Version

Knowing God Through Love^(A)

⁷^(B)Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who ^(C)loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹^(D)In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten ^(E)Son into the world, that we might live through Him. ¹⁰In this is love, ^(F)not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son ^(G)to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹Beloved, ^(H)if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Seeing God Through Love

¹²^(I)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. ¹³^(J)By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. ¹⁴And ^(K)we have seen and testify that ^(L)the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. ¹⁵^(M)Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and ^(N)he who abides in love abides in God, and God ^(O)in him.

The Consummation of Love

¹⁷Love has been perfected among us in this: that ^(P)we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. ¹⁸There 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. ¹⁹^(Q)We love ^[a]Him because He first loved us.

Obedience by Faith

²⁰^(R)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, ^[b]how can he love God ^(S)whom he has not seen? ²¹And ^(T)this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.