"By inserting this condition, John interrupts the symmetry which exists between the two halves of his letter . . .; for the idea of love' by itself is not given separate treatment in 1:5-2:29. However, the discussion of love at this point echoes the command to be obedient (by loving) considered at 2:3-11, and the parallel demand for obedient love which the writer sets out in 3:10-24. Indeed, the present section spells out precisely the nature of the love which is demanded from every believer, and may thus be viewed as an extension of the teaching contained in 2:3-11 and 3:10-24. Earlier, John has related the love command to the real light' which is already shining (2:8, 10), and to the eternal life' of which love is the evidence (3:14-15). Now he relates the requirement of Christian love to the very nature of God himself. We are to love as a response to God's own love, and to his loving activity in Christ and in the Church."148
This pericope contains a comprehensive treatment of the nature of true love.
4:7 Love, as well as faith (i.e., acknowledging the true doctrine of Christ, vv. 1-6), is a product of God's Spirit. The believer (one "born of God") who also "knows"God (i.e., has intimate fellowship with Him) loves (cf. 2:3-5).
"The love which the New Testament enjoins involves a consuming passion for the well-being of others, and this love has its wellspring in God."149
This verse is a concise summary of the argument of this whole epistle.
4:8 Absence of love shows that a person does not have intimate fellowship with God. It does not necessarily show that he was never born of God. Because God is light those who abide in Him walk in His light (1:5, 7). Because God is righteous those who abide in Him practice righteousness (2:29). Just so, God is love and those who abide in Him manifest His loving character.150
"All His activity is loving activity. If He creates, He creates in love; if He rules, He rules in live; if He judges, He judges in love. All that He does is the expression of His nature, is--to love."151
"God is love' is rightly recognized as one of the high peaks of divine revelation in this Epistle. Logically the statement stands parallel with God is light' (1:5) and God is spirit' (Jn. 4:24) as one of the three great Johannine expression of the nature of God. . . . God is spirit' describes his metaphysical nature, while God is light' and God is love' deal with his character, especially as he has revealed himself to men."152
4:9 The proof of God's love for people is that He sent His only begotten Son (lit. only born one) to provide eternal life for us (cf. John 1:14, 18; 3:16).
4:10 This was not a response to man's love for God. God took the initiative in reaching out to us (v. 10). Jesus Christ became "an atoning sacrifice"(NIV) for our sins.
4:11 That demonstration of love by God is our model for showing love to others. As God manifested love in (among) us then by sending Jesus Christ, so He manifests His love among us now as we love one another (vv. 12-13).
4:12 No one has seen God in His pure essence without some kind of filter (cf. John 1:18).153Whenever we love one another we make it possible for God to "abide"in close fellowship with us. Furthermore God's love reaches a fullness and depth in us that is possible only when we love one another. It attains its full flower (v. 19).
There are three stages of God's love in 1 John. These stages are love manifested to the world (4:9), love given to the family of God (3:1), and love perfected in a smaller group within this family (i.e., those who abide in God, 4:12). The love of God does not reach perfection until it finds objects of love beyond itself. When it does, God, whom no one has seen, will be visible in this manifestation of love.
"God's love for us is perfected only when it is reproduced in us or (as it may mean) among us' in the Christian fellowship."154
The same phenomenon occurs in human families. When a child says or does something just like one of his or her parents, we see the parent in the child's behavior (cf. 3:9).
"The love of God displayed in His people is the strongest apologetic that God has in the world."155
4:13 A believer's abiding in God and God's abiding in him or her become evident by the demonstration of love that comes "of"(lit. "out of") God's Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the source of the abiding believer's love just as He is the source of our obedience (cf. 3:23-24).
4:14 God's presence is observable in the midst of Christians who love each other. God produces that love. Most of John's readers had not, and all of us have not, seen Jesus Christ in the flesh as the apostles did. However, we can see God too and can bear witness with the apostles that God sent Jesus Christ into the world. We can share the apostles' experience that John said was his goal in writing this epistle (1:1-4). We can see God both in the manifestation of His love and in God's life behind that love as we observe Christians loving one another. This verse then is a high point in John's argument.156
4:15 Confessing that Jesus is God's Son is not the only condition for abiding in God. It is one evidence that one is abiding. One not abiding may or may not make this confession. Confession is the last step, the step of bearing witness (cf. 1:9; 2:23; 4:3; Rom. 10:9-10).
4:16 This verse summarizes this section (3:24-4:16; cf. John 6:69). John was speaking of intimate knowledge ("come to know") and intimate fellowship ("abides"). "We"includes the readers with the apostles. "For us"should be "among us,"as in verse 9.
"The stages in John's thought at this point have now emerged clearly. Faith (acknowledging Jesus as God's Son, v 15; and trusting in the love which God has for us, v 16a) leads to mutual indwelling between God and the believer. Such a personal relationship is consequently expressed in and perpetuated by living in love' (v 16b). The believer's love, for God and for other people (or for God in other people, cf. v 12), is to be active and sustained."157
John's point in this section was that his readers had seen God in a sense similar to the sense in which the apostles had seen Him. The apostles had seen God in that they had seen Him in His Son, Jesus Christ. God had revealed His love to the apostles through Jesus Christ. The readers had seen God in that they had seen Him in His Spirit-indwelt abiding believers. Consequently John's readers could bear witness to the truth as the apostles did, and they could enjoy the same intimate fellowship with God as the apostles did.
4:17 Our love becomes complete in the sense that we can now have confidence as we anticipate our day of judgment (i.e., the evaluation of our works at Christ's judgment seat; 1 Cor. 3:12-15; 2 Cor. 5:10). The characteristic of God and Christians in view here is our love. We do not need to fear the judgment seat of Christ if we have demonstrated love to others. By loving we become like Jesus Christ our Judge. Therefore to give love is to gain boldness (confidence).
Here John said God's love reaches perfection "with us"(Gr. meth hamon) whereas in 4:12 he wrote that His love reaches perfection "in us"(Gr. en hamin). When it reaches perfection inus, a proper relationship to other people exists, namely, no hate. When it reaches perfection withus, a proper relationship to God exists, namely, no fear.
As Jesus abode in His Father and consequently had confidence in the face of trials and death, so we can abide in Christ and have confidence in spite of the world's hostility.158Abiding in God gave Jesus confidence, and it gives us confidence too.
4:18 When we love others we have no basis for fear as we anticipate the judgment seat of Christ. The person who loves is, of course, the person over whom God is exercising His controlling influence (i.e., an abiding Christian). A believer who does not love others feels guilty and fears meeting his Judge. This fear is a punishment. His guilty conscience punishes him. A Christian who loves others may have other fears, but he need not fear the judgment seat of Christ. The fact that he loves others demonstrates that his relationship with God is essentially what it should be.
John was using love for God and other people here as he did elsewhere in this epistle (e.g., 2:3-11). He meant that it is the most important manifestation of a proper relationship with God, not the only manifestation.
On the human level only total acceptance of another person will remove the fear in love. For example, in marriage a love relationship that is free of fear is one in which there is a commitment to demonstrate total acceptance of the mate. Total forgiveness is also necessary for a transparent relationship (Eph. 4:31-32).
4:19 Our ability to love and our practice of love come from God's love for us. We need not fear standing before our Judge because we love Him and He loves us. This verse is the climax of the body of this epistle.
"The ultimate ground of Christian assurance (including confidence on the judgment day, v 17) is not to be found in ourloving, however complete' (v 18), but in God's prior love for us . . ."159
Confidence is one of the great consequences of having intimate fellowship with God. We can have confidence now and confidence to meet Jesus Christ when He returns for us or when we die (2:28). Moreover we can have confidence in prayer (3:21-22) and confidence when we stand before His judgment seat to give account of our stewardship (4:17-19).
4:20 A claim to love God is a poor substitute for genuine love of the brethren. Verse 19 left open the possibility of such a claim. John therefore clarified that a claim to love God is not a true demonstration of love. Love for the unseen God will find expression in love for our brethren whom we can see. It is easier to love someone we can see than it is to love someone we cannot see.
4:21 Furthermore, God commanded us to love both Himself and our brothers, not just Himself (2:3; 3:23-24; 5:3). Here is another false claim (cf. 1:6, 8, 10; 2:4, 6, 9, 22; 5:10).
"Much verbal expression of devotion for the person of Christ can co-exist with remarkably un-Christian attitudes toward the people of Christ . . ."160
"It is easy to have a kind of love for God which does not recognize the obligation to love one another. Such love for God falls short of being real love for him, since it fails to obey his commandments."161
5:1 The first part of this verse is one of the clearest statements in Scripture of what a person has to believe to be saved. We must believe that Jesus of Nazareth is "the Christ"(i.e., the Anointed One whom God promised to provide as a substitute sacrifice for the sins of the world).
Our brothers and sisters are those who believe that Jesus is the Christ. Even though we may have little in common with some Christians, we can still love them because we share the same Parent and are members of the same family.
5:2 We must love other Christians to be obedient to God's commandments. Genuine love for God will result in obedience to His commandments. This love expresses itself in action, not just emotion. We love other Christians best when we obey God.
5:3 The fundamental proof of love for God and man is obedience to the Word of God. This must include willingness to sacrifice for our brethren (cf. 3:10-17). It is very easy to test our love for God. How committed are we to being completely obedient to His will? That is the measure of our love.
Love for God and God's children is essentially obedience to God's commands. It is not so much how we feel about God and other believers but how we choose to relate to them that is crucial.
God's commands are not burdensome (oppressive, so as to crush love) because every believer has already exercised the faith in God that is essential for obedience (cf. Matt. 11:30; 1 John 4:4).
5:4 Every Christian has overcome the world by his or her initial faith in Jesus Christ. To continue to overcome and obey God all we need to do is continue to exercise faith in God (cf. Rom. 8:27; 1 Cor. 15:57).
