Chapter 14
1 John 4:13-21
1 John 4:13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
If we read these verses too quickly, it may seem like John is simply repeating much of what he just said in the previous verses, however we see under closer examination that he is really making a joyful proclamation that we are indeed saved and can have confidence in the promises of Jesus.
In verse 13, John repeats the premise that we can know that we Christians abide in Him and He in us because He has given us the Holy Spirit. He reiterates much of the New Testament that we can have assurance of salvation through the work of the Holy Spirit (read Romans 8:9, 14-16; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:5 and Ephesians 1:13-14). He next applies the credibility he established in the epistle’s first two verses by reminding us that they were indeed eyewitnesses (see 1 John 1:1-2) and can truthfully testify that God the Father sent His Son Jesus to be the Savior of the world (these words should remind us of the wording John used earlier in 1 John 2:2 and of course John 3:16).
1 John 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
John next opens the door for all people, anyone who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, that God abides in them and they in God (see also Romans 10:9). The Greek word for ‘confesses’ is ‘homologēo’ meaning to profess (state something is true or agree with) and/or confess (meaning to apply the truth in an action based on that belief, such as confessing our sins and asking for forgiveness). The word is most often used in connection with some form of public acknowledgement or verbal profession of faith. So that we have come to know and to believe (to think it is true) that the love of God has for us is real (John made a similar statement in John 6:69). God’s love is always genuine, however, since we are sinners and suspicious of all good things, we may want to discount God’s love for us. We may feel that we are not worthy of God’s love or try to put some form of ‘condition’ on that love (after all that is how mankind loves), John stops us from thinking that way by repeating verse eight, God is love! God’s love is so much more than man’s ability to love, that there really is no comparison. Since we do not have the capacity to love like God, any evidence of agapē love in our lives must be coming from Him.
1 John 4:17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.
John says that love can be perfected with us or more precisely, God’s love is complete in us so that we can have confidence (boldness) for the day of judgment. Earlier John mentioned that we can have confidence and not shrink back from Jesus as the result of any shame we might be hanging on to when He returns (see 1 John 2:28; 3:21, see also and review 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 and 2 Corinthians 5:16) and now John adds that we have nothing to worry about on the day of judgment (the Greek word translated here as judgment simply means to separate as the result of a decision of a person in authority). The reason John gives us is often misunderstood, “as He is so also are we in this world.” John is saying that the Father treats believers the same way He treats His Son Jesus in this world. Another way of looking at this would be to say that God clothes us with the righteousness of Jesus (read Romans 3:21-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9 and 1 John 3:2b). The NIV renders this verse, “This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.”
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
Understanding that one might have some fear in approaching the time of judgment, John emphasizes that in love there is no fear since perfect love casts out fear. John further explains that fear has to do with punishment or forceful correction. This might remind some of us regarding our childhood, especially being called by one of our parents if we thought we did something wrong and being fearful of their wrath, but John says that is not how God handles the issue of sin and salvation with His children. We need to remember that Jesus lived a sinless life, suffered, died, and became alive again in order to repair all of our relational shortcomings before the Father, assuming we accepted Jesus as our Savior. Instead of punishment there will be reward (see Matthew 16:27; Romans 2:6; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; James 1:12; 2 John 8). John notes that if someone does indeed have fear before the Father, they have not been made complete in love.
1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.
John says we love because He first loved us (see also John 15:9 and Romans 5:8). We have the capacity to love only because God made it possible to love. Verse 19 may read differently than what you may remember or memorized from the past, especially from the King James Version. The KJV renders the verse, “We love Him, because He first loved us.” We see in the Textus Receptus (also known as the “Received Text,” the primary New Testament manuscript used in translating the KJV) there is one additional word, ‘autos’ (translated here as ‘Him’), while we see that the majority of the Greek New Testament manuscripts do not include that word, rendering the verse something like what we see here, “We love because He first loved us.” Most modern translations use a variety of Greek New Testament sources instead of a single Greek source or manuscript (this is one reason why we might see several variations of wording in Bible texts, even from the same publisher from one year to another, as new sources are discovered or made available). Just like all of the variations found in early texts and manuscripts, the difference in the way this verse reads is only minor. Here the subject is God’s love and John tells us that we could not love at all, not alone love Him back, if it wasn’t for God’s love for us in the first place. We are all made in His image (see Genesis 1:27), we can love because He made us that way, love in that sense is a divine attribute, something He shares with us.
1 John 4:20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
This section is often referred to as a warning, however it can provide further evidence in our lives to demonstrate that the Holy Spirit is in us and so in that regard, the test continues. John notes that if anyone says that they love God but hates their brother (the use of the term implies all fellow human beings), they are a liar. John points out that if we cannot love our brother, who we can see, how can we love God who we can’t see (see verse 12 and 1 Peter 1:8). John reminds us that it was Jesus who gave us the command to love (see 1 John 2:7; 3:11 and John 13:34-35). Whoever loves God must also love his brother, a love that seeks nothing in return and unconditionally forgives when wronged.