1 John 4:9

1 John 4:9

Knowing God Through Love

7 ^aBeloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who ^bloves is born of God and knows God.

8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

9 ^aIn this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten ^bSon into the world, that we might live through Him.

10 In this is love, ^anot that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son ^bto be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, ^aif God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Seeing God Through Love

12 ^aNo 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 ^aBy this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

14 And ^awe have seen and testify that ^bthe Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.

15 ^aWhoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and ^ahe who abides in love abides in God, and God ^bin him.

The Consummation of Love

17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that ^awe may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

Commentaries:

Barnes' Notes

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1 John 4:10 >>

In this was manifested the love of God - That is, in an eminent manner, or this was a most signal proof of it. The apostle does not mean to say that it has been manifested in no other way, but that this was so prominent an instance of his love, that all the other manifestations of it seemed absorbed and lost in this.

Because that God sent his only begotten Son ... - See the notes at John 3:16.

That we might live through him - He died that we might have eternal life through the merits of his sacrifice. The "measure" of that love, then, which was manifested in the gift of a Saviour, is to be found,

(1)In the worth of the soul;

(2)In its exposure to eternal death;

(3)In the greatness of the gift;

(4)In the greatness of his sorrows for us; and,

(5)In the immortal blessedness and joy to which he will raise us.

Who can estimate all this? All these things will magnify themselves as we draw near to eternity; and in that eternity to which we go, whether saved or lost, we shall have an ever-expanding view of the wonderful love of God.

**Other Barnes' Notes entries containing 1 John 4:9:**

Matthew 21:33-46
John 1:14
John 3:13
Acts 2:23
2 Thessalonians 2:16

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1 John 4:10 >>

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