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.
