1 John 4:11-18
Chapter 4
No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is made complete in us.
How can we know that we live in God and he in us? Because he has given us his Spirit.
Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.
We have come to know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
How do we know that we have reached complete love? When we are like him in this world, and we can face the day of judgment with confidence.
There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. Those who are afraid are not made perfect in love.
Commentaries
God Is Love.
The statement “God is love” (8.16) is not meant to be an abstract definition of the divine essence but rather a revelation of how God has made himself known throughout history. This has been through works and words filled with love, which now, in the fullness of time, reach their peak in Jesus. The presence of love in the believer is a sign that he “has been born of God and is a child of God.” God remains present and active within him. It can be said that he is truly begotten in God, for through this love he “has known God” (7f). John teaches that love has a divine origin and that humans cannot achieve it on their own. True love always comes from God. We must stay in a state of receiving God’s love. In John’s words, this is called faith. Those who do not welcome love cannot give love. We must accept being loved.