1 John 4:7
Verse
Context
Love Comes from God
6We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.7Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Sermons
C.S. Lewis
Stephen Kaung
Francis Chan
J. Glyn OwenJ. Glyn Owen
Arno StegenSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Beloved, let us love one another - And ever be ready to promote each other's welfare, both spiritual and temporal. For love is of God - And ever acts like him; he loves man, and daily loads him with his benefits. He that loveth most has most of God in him; and he that loveth God and his neighbor, as before described and commanded, is born of God, εκ του Θεου γεγεννηται, is begotten of God - is a true child of his heavenly Father, for he is made a partaker of the Divine nature; and this his love to God and man proves.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Resumption of the main theme (Jo1 2:29). Love, the sum of righteousness, is the test of our being born of God. Love flows from a sense of God's love to us: compare Jo1 4:9 with Jo1 3:16, which Jo1 4:9 resumes; and Jo1 4:13 with Jo1 3:24, which similarly Jo1 4:13 resumes. At the same time, Jo1 4:7-21 is connected with the immediately preceding context, Jo1 4:2 setting forth Christ's incarnation, the great proof of God's love (Jo1 4:10). Beloved--an address appropriate to his subject, "love." love--All love is from God as its fountain: especially that embodiment of love, God manifest in the flesh. The Father also is love (Jo1 4:8). The Holy Ghost sheds love as its first fruit abroad in the heart. knoweth God--spiritually, experimentally, and habitually.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Beloved, let its love one another,.... The apostle having finished what he proposed to say concerning the trying of spirits, returns to his former exhortation to brotherly love, and which comes with fresh force and strength; for since worldly men follow, hear, embrace, and cleave to the false teachers; such as are of God, and on the side of truth, should love one another, and their faithful ministers, and stand fast in one spirit by the truths of the Gospel, in opposition to every error: for love is of God: to love one another is the command of God, it is his revealed will, and is well pleasing in his sight; it comes from him, is a gift of his grace, and a fruit of his Spirit, and which he teaches regenerate ones to exercise: and everyone that loveth God, as the Alexandrian copy reads, or Christ, and the saints, who seem to be particularly meant: is born of God; for love to the brethren is an evidence of regeneration; See Gill on Jo1 3:14; and knoweth God; he knows God in Christ, and therefore loves those who have the grace of God in them, and the image of Christ upon them; he knows the mind and will of God, being taught of God to love the brethren; and he knows the love of God, and has had an experience of the grace of God, which influences him to love the saints.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
As the Spirit of truth is known by doctrine (thus spirits are to be tried), it is known by love likewise; and so here follows a strong fervent exhortation to holy Christian love: Beloved, let us love one another, Jo1 4:7. The apostle would unite them in his love, that he might unite them in love to each other: "Beloved, I beseech you, by the love I bear to you, that you put on unfeigned mutual love." This exhortation is pressed and urged with variety of argument: as, I. From the high and heavenly descent of love: For love is of God. He is the fountain, author, parent, and commander of love; it is the sum of his law and gospel: And every one that loveth (whose spirit is framed to judicious holy love) is born of God, Jo1 4:7. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of love. The new nature in the children of God is the offspring of his love: and the temper and complexion of it is love. The fruit of the Spirit is love, Gal 5:22. Love comes down from heaven. II. Love argues a true and just apprehension of the divine nature: He that loveth knoweth God, Jo1 4:7. He that loveth not knoweth not God, Jo1 4:8. What attribute of the divine Majesty so clearly shines in all the world as his communicative goodness, which is love. The wisdom, the greatness, the harmony, and usefulness of the vast creation, which so fully demonstrate his being, do at the same time show and prove his love; and natural reason, inferring and collecting the nature and excellence of the most absolute perfect being, must collect and find that he is most highly good: and he that loveth not (is not quickened by the knowledge he hath of God to the affection and practice of love) knoweth not God; it is a convictive evidence that the sound and due knowledge of God dwells not in such a soul; his love must needs shine among his primary brightest perfections; for God is love (Jo1 4:8), his nature and essence are love, his will and works are primarily love. Not that this is the only conception we ought to have of him; we have found that he is light as well as love (Jo1 1:5), and God is principally love to himself, and he has such perfections as arise from the necessary love he must bear to his necessary existence, excellence, and glory; but love is natural and essential to the divine Majesty: God is love. This is argued from the display and demonstration that he hath given of it; as, 1. That he hath loved us, such as we are: In this was manifest the love of God towards us (Jo1 4:9), towards us mortals, us ungrateful rebels. God commandeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, Rom 5:8. Strange that God should love impure, vain, vile, dust and ashes! 2. That he has loved us at such a rate, at such an incomparable value as he has given for us; he has given his own, only-beloved, blessed Son for us: Because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him, Jo1 4:9. This person is in some peculiar distinguishing way the Son of God; he is the only-begotten. Should we suppose him begotten as a creature or created being, he is not the only-begotten. Should we suppose him a natural necessary eradication from the Father's glory or glorious essence, or substance, he must be the only-begotten: and then it will be a mystery and miracle of divine love that such a Son should be sent into our world for us! It may well be said, So (wonderfully, so amazingly, so incredibly) God loved the world. 3. That God loved us first, and in the circumstances in which we lay: Herein is love (unusual unprecedented love), not that we loved God, but that he loved us, Jo1 4:10. He loved us, when we had no love for him, when we lay in our guilt, misery, and blood, when we were undeserving, ill-deserving, polluted, and unclean, and wanted to be washed from our sins in sacred blood. 4. That he gave us his Son for such service and such an end. (1.) For such service, to be the propitiation for our sins; consequently to die for us, to die under the law and curse of God, to bear our sins in his own body, to be crucified, to be wounded in his soul, and pierced in his side, to be dead and buried for us (Jo1 4:10); and then, (2.) For such an end, for such a good and beneficial end to us - that we might live through him (Jo1 4:9), might live for ever through him, might live in heaven, live with God, and live in eternal glory and blessedness with him and through him: O what love is here! Then, III. Divine love to the brethren should constrain ours: Beloved (I would adjure you by your interest in my love to remember), if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another, Jo1 4:11. This should be an invincible argument. The example of God should press us. We should be followers (or imitators) of him, as his dear children. The objects of the divine love should be the objects of ours. Shall we refuse to love those whom the eternal God hath loved? We should be admirers of his love, and lovers of his love (of the benevolence and complacency that are in him), and consequently lovers of those whom he loves. The general love of God to the world should induce a universal love among mankind. That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth his rain on the just and on the unjust, Mat 5:45. The peculiar love of God to the church and to the saints should be productive of a peculiar love there: If God so loved us, we ought surely (in some measure suitably thereto) to love one another. IV. The Christian love is an assurance of the divine inhabitation: If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, Jo1 4:12. Now God dwelleth in us, not by any visible presence, or immediate appearance to the eye (no man hath seen God at any time, Jo1 4:12), but by his Spirit (Jo1 4:13); or, "No man hath seen God at any time; he does not here present himself to our eye or to our immediate intuition, and so he does not in this way demand and exact our love; but he demands and expects it in that way in which he has thought meet to deserve and claim it, and that is in the illustration that he has given of himself and of his love (and thereupon of his loveliness too) in the catholic church, and particularly in the brethren, the members of that church. In them, and in his appearance for them and with them, is God to be loved; and thus, if we love one another, God dwelleth in us. The sacred lovers of the brethren are the temples of God; the divine Majesty has a peculiar residence there." V. Herein the divine love attains a considerable end and accomplishment in us: "And his love is perfected in us, Jo1 4:12. It has obtained its completion in and upon us. God's love is not perfected in him, but in and with us. His love could not be designed to be ineffectual and fruitless upon us; when its proper genuine end and issue are attained and produced thereby, it may be said to be perfected; so faith is perfected by its works, and love perfected by its operations. When the divine love has wrought us to the same image, to the love of God, and thereupon to the love of the brethren, the children of God, for his sake, it is therein and so far perfected and completed, though this love of ours is not at present perfect, nor the ultimate end of the divine love to us." How ambitious should we be of this fraternal Christian love, when God reckons his own love to us perfected thereby! To this the apostle, having mentioned the high favour of God's dwelling in us, subjoins the note and character thereof: Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit, Jo1 4:13. Certainly this mutual inhabitation is something more noble and great than we are well acquainted with or can declare. One would think that to speak of God dwelling in us, and we in him, were to use words too high for mortals, had not God gone before us therein. What this indwelling imports has been briefly explained on Jo1 3:24. What it fully is must be left to the revelation of the blessed world. But this mutual inhabitation we know, says the apostle, because he hath given us of his spirit; he has lodged the image and fruit of his Spirit in our hearts (Jo1 4:13), and the Spirit that he hath given us appears to be his, or of him, since it is the Spirit of power, of zeal and magnanimity for God, of love to God and man, and of a sound mind, of an understanding well instructed in the affairs of God and religion, and his kingdom among men, Ti2 1:7.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
4:7-21 John explains the source of a Christian’s love and its outworking.
1 John 4:7
Love Comes from God
6We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.7Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Four Loves
By C.S. Lewis12K00:29Types of LoveLoveChristian LoveMAT 22:37JHN 15:13ROM 13:101CO 13:4GAL 5:22EPH 5:25COL 3:141PE 4:81JN 3:161JN 4:7C.S. Lewis explores the concept of love through the lens of the four Greek words: Storge, which represents familial affection; Philia, the bond of friendship; Eros, the romantic love between partners; and Agape, the selfless, unconditional love that reflects God's love for humanity and the love Christians should have for one another. He emphasizes the importance of understanding these different types of love in our relationships and spiritual lives.
1 John - Ground of Fellowship
By Stephen Kaung3.6K1:00:36MAT 3:1JHN 1:29JHN 1:381JN 1:51JN 2:291JN 4:71JN 5:6In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes that we are currently living in the last days, which are characterized by difficult times and a lack of love for God. The speaker also highlights the danger of false teachings and the temptation of the world that the church faced during the time this letter was written. The central theme of the letter is fellowship, and the speaker divides it into three parts: an introduction that lays the ground of fellowship, the condition or practice of fellowship, and the importance and value of fellowship. The apostle John, in his closing years, prioritized sharing this central and precious message with the church.
Rethinking Church
By Francis Chan2.8K11:14MAT 28:19ACT 2:42EPH 4:111JN 4:7
The sermon emphasizes the biblical description of the church, focusing on four key aspects: love, mission, gathering, and equipping. It highlights the importance of a church being a loving family that cares for one another, is dedicated to spreading the message of Jesus, gathers to focus on communion and prayer, and equips leaders for ministry. The speaker challenges the traditional church structure and encourages a more intimate, mission-focused, and biblically grounded approach to church life.
(1 John #23) Why Love?
By J. Glyn Owen2.7K41:26Love1JN 4:7In this sermon, the speaker confesses that due to a pastoral situation, he will only be addressing verses seven and eight of 1 John 4. He explains that sometimes certain topics need to be stressed in the pulpit because they have arisen forcefully in pastoral work. The speaker emphasizes the importance of love of a higher order, where believers seek the highest good of others, even if they are mistreated. He contrasts the commotion and turmoil of the world with the peace and love that should reign within the church, stating that evil spirits should be kept outside. The sermon encourages listeners to reflect on their own souls and apply the teachings of God's word to their relationships with others.
(1 John #24) God's Love Expressed
By J. Glyn Owen2.6K21:44God's Love1JN 4:7In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the incredible love and sacrifice of God for humanity. He highlights the fact that God sent His only Son into the world to be an eternal sacrifice for our sins. The preacher encourages the audience to ponder the significance of the incarnation and the mystery of God becoming flesh. He also references the passage in 1 John 4:7-8, which speaks about the importance of love and its connection to knowing God. The sermon concludes with a prayer of gratitude for the sacrifice of Jesus and a reminder of the significance of His body and blood in the communion.
The New Covenant - Slovakia Conference 2003 (Slovakian/english)
By Gary Wilkerson2.4K1:28:07New CovenantMAT 6:33JHN 17:17JHN 17:21ROM 12:101CO 11:29EPH 4:321JN 4:7In this sermon, the speaker encourages the congregation to gather in small groups and pray for one another. He emphasizes the importance of unity in the body of Christ and the need to love one another. The speaker shares his personal struggles as a pastor and his desire to see his church grow. He also mentions attending a conference on seeker-sensitive churches and being impressed by their methods, but realizing that his own church was not experiencing the same growth.
Do Everything Out of Love
By Arno Stegen2.1K47:08LoveMAT 22:39JHN 13:34ROM 13:101CO 16:14GAL 5:221PE 4:81JN 4:7In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of doing everything out of love, as God himself is love. He highlights that without God, our actions are irrelevant. The preacher encourages the congregation to walk in love, just as Christ did, and to have the same love that He had. The sermon also addresses the tests of love, such as being kind, not being jealous, not bragging or being arrogant, and not seeking one's own interests. The preacher reminds the listeners that love does not keep a record of wrongs and encourages them to live a life that is a sweet aroma to God and a blessing to others.
The Hiding Place
By Jim Cymbala1.9K34:18Love Of GodMAT 6:33JHN 13:35ROM 8:281JN 3:11JN 4:7In this sermon, the speaker compares the power and wonder of the sun in our solar system to the love of God. Just as we cannot directly look at the sun without harming our eyes, we cannot fully comprehend the depth of God's love for us. The speaker emphasizes that through God's love, we are saved and have the assurance of eternal life. The sermon encourages listeners to open their hearts and strive to understand and appreciate the immense love that God has bestowed upon us.
The Canadian Revival - Part 6
By Bill McLeod1.5K09:25PSA 85:61CO 6:19GAL 5:25EPH 5:82TI 1:61JN 4:7
This sermon emphasizes the transformative power of revival, sharing stories of individuals who sold possessions, repented, and dedicated their lives to missions after experiencing revival. It highlights the impact of revival on churches, communities, and individuals, showcasing how God works through ordinary people like a truck driver and farmers. The sermon also discusses the importance of humility, selflessness, and walking in the light, spirit, and love as key aspects of revival.
The Lewis Revival 1949 - Part 5
By Colin Peckham1.4K09:08PSA 30:11PSA 100:2ACT 2:46ROM 15:131JN 4:7
This sermon reflects on a time of intense spiritual revival where singing, joy, love, unity, and hunger for God's presence were prominent. The atmosphere was filled with the presence of God, leading to unforgettable experiences of worship and prayer, even in the early hours of the morning. The joy and love experienced were described as unspeakable and overwhelming, transforming lives and bringing people together in unity and care for one another.
Christian Love
By Bill McLeod1.3K27:04LoveEZK 33:31JHN 17:26ROM 5:51TH 3:121TH 4:91JN 3:181JN 4:7In this sermon, the speaker shares two powerful illustrations about the transformative power of love. The first story is about a pastor in Chile who, after struggling with a stagnant church, simply told his congregation to love one another. This simple message sparked a change in the church and things began to happen. The second story is about D.L. Moody, who experienced a profound encounter with the love of God that transformed his ministry. The speaker emphasizes the importance of living a life of love, not just in words, but in actions. They also encourage listeners to examine their own hearts and ask God to fill them with His love. The sermon references passages from Ezekiel, 1 John, 1 Corinthians, and Philippians to support the message of love and serving others.
How Our Joy Can Be Full - Part 1
By Zac Poonen1.3K09:00JHN 17:31JN 1:11JN 1:51JN 2:151JN 4:71JN 5:41JN 5:20
This sermon focuses on the significance of the first letter of John in the New Testament, emphasizing its importance due to being written by John at the age of 95 after years of observing various churches and believers. Despite the prevalent confusion in Christendom, John's message remains relevant, highlighting the deep truths of life and fellowship with God. He stresses the eternal life found in Jesus Christ and warns against idolatry, urging believers to guard themselves from worshiping anything other than the true God.
The Priority of Regeneration Part 1
By John Murray1.3K48:58RegenerationJHN 3:5JHN 3:18JAS 1:171JN 2:291JN 3:91JN 4:71JN 5:4In this sermon, the speaker discusses the importance of the preaching of the word of God and its impact on the believer's life. The sermon focuses on the concept of being begotten of God and how it relates to faith, abstinence from sin, love of God, knowledge of God, and doing righteousness. The speaker emphasizes that those who are begotten of God do not continue in sin and eventually come to believe in the position of not sinning. The sermon references several passages from the book of John to support these teachings.
The Fruit of Repentance
By Bill McLeod1.1K44:15RepentanceMAT 6:33JHN 1:33ACT 2:4ROM 1:161CO 9:161PE 1:221JN 4:7In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of understanding the purpose of our faith. He highlights the power of the Bible as a weapon and encourages the congregation to rely on it for guidance. The preacher shares a testimony of a pastor who experienced revival in his church after realizing the need for a deeper faith. He emphasizes that faith is not just an intellectual belief, but a heart transformation that is demonstrated through actions. The sermon concludes with the reminder that true faith is shown through obedience to God's truth.
New Covenant- God\'s Final Goal - Church -Part 5
By Zac Poonen1.1K09:42GEN 1:26GEN 2:18MAT 6:33JHN 13:341CO 12:12EPH 4:16COL 3:14HEB 10:241JN 4:7
This sermon emphasizes the importance of discerning God's will and passing the tests He presents, drawing parallels from Adam's choice of a wife to our own decisions. It highlights the need to prioritize seeking God's kingdom first and not settling for the first option that comes our way. The speaker shares personal experiences of testing and temptation in building a church, stressing the significance of maintaining New Testament standards and true fellowship in the body of Christ.
How to Get Along With God's Family
By Jack Hyles98456:00PSA 133:1JHN 10:27ROM 12:101CO 4:6EPH 4:2JAS 5:91JN 4:7In this sermon, the preacher tells a story about a boy named Johnny who struggles to understand basic math concepts. Through this story, the preacher highlights the lack of cooperation and understanding in the world. The sermon then shifts to a personal anecdote about the preacher's friend, Bob Keyes, who suffered a heart attack and needed open heart surgery. The preacher emphasizes the importance of loyalty and friendship, urging the congregation to support and help those in need. The sermon concludes with a call for unity and a prayer for the congregation to learn to dwell together in harmony.
The Dangers of Judgmentalism
By James Robison90743:40MAT 7:1EPH 4:21JN 4:7
This sermon emphasizes the importance of unity, love, forgiveness, and discernment within the church. It highlights the need to avoid judgmentalism, embrace diversity, and focus on practicing Christ-like love and encouragement towards one another. The message encourages believers to seek God wholeheartedly, pray for one another, and be open to learning and growing in faith without fear of failure or criticism.
Why Do You Do What You Do With Your Time?
By Tim Conway85206:35ROM 14:211CO 9:221CO 10:311CO 16:14GAL 5:16COL 3:171PE 3:31JN 4:7
This sermon emphasizes the importance of examining our motives in all aspects of life, including how we dress, use our time, spend money, and make decisions. It challenges listeners to align their actions with God's Word and to ensure that their motives are driven by a desire to glorify God and love others, rather than by worldly desires or selfish pleasures. The message encourages a lifestyle of thoughtful consideration and intentional choices that reflect a heart devoted to God.
Chosen to Love
By Basilea Schlink77104:35Radio ShowMAT 22:37JHN 17:26ROM 5:81CO 13:1EPH 1:41JN 4:71JN 4:19In this sermon transcript titled "Chosen to Love" by Basil E. Shlink, the speaker emphasizes that God has chosen and called us to be His hands and feet in bringing love and relief to a world in need. The speaker shares the example of John Hyde, a missionary and prayer warrior, who was so consumed by his love for Jesus that he would pray through the night for souls to be won for the Lord. The speaker highlights the importance of love in our lives, quoting John 17 where Jesus prays for his disciples to have the same love that God has for him. The speaker concludes by emphasizing that true love can only be found in Jesus and encourages listeners to fully commit themselves to Him, as He is the source of eternal love.
Send the Message - Session 6
By K.P. Yohannan7701:01:58MissionsMAT 6:33MAT 16:24ROM 12:101CO 1:101JN 4:7In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of having a genuine relationship with Jesus and living a life of love. He expresses doubt about someone's salvation if they claim to be born again but show no concern for those who do not know Jesus. The speaker highlights the significance of missions and the impact that can be made through the grace of God. He encourages believers to deny themselves, carry their cross, and follow Jesus' example of saying no to their own desires in order to fulfill God's call.
Become Little Children to Love One Another
By Ian Robson66519:00PSA 127:3PRO 22:6MAT 18:3JHN 13:331CO 13:42CO 6:11EPH 5:33EPH 6:4COL 3:141JN 4:7
This sermon emphasizes the importance of learning from children, particularly in their humility, love, and openness. It highlights Jesus' endearing words to his disciples as 'little children' and the commandment to love one another. The message stresses the significance of creating a loving and peaceful atmosphere in our homes, where children witness and experience genuine love and affection between parents, fostering a secure and nurturing environment for their growth.
How the Turning Point Came
By Basilea Schlink66304:35Radio ShowPSA 66:19MAT 5:44MAT 16:24ROM 5:81CO 13:4GAL 5:221JN 4:7In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of love and not erecting barriers between oneself and others. They highlight the need to love unconditionally, regardless of what others may have done to us. The speaker shares a personal testimony of their struggle to live in harmony with sisters from different countries in a Sisterhood. However, through Jesus' revelation of their own pride and stubbornness, they were able to let go of judgment and love their sisters. The speaker concludes by praising God for His love that has no barriers.
(Ephesians) Walking in Love
By Brian Brodersen63258:35MAT 22:37MAT 22:39JHN 13:34ROM 13:8EPH 4:321JN 4:7In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of working together with others in the Christian life and ministry. He highlights the impact of media, such as MTV, on the mentality of youth and the need for the Word of God in Poland. The speaker shares his mission to teach the Bible, preach the gospel, and establish a church in Poland. He encourages listeners to rely on God's grace and shares the story of Jim Elliott and his companions who were called to minister to the Alka Indians in South America. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of studying the Scriptures, particularly the Gospels, to understand and observe God's character through Jesus Christ.
Ex Omers
By George Verwer53454:37MissionsMAT 6:33ROM 12:10EPH 4:21TI 6:101PE 4:81JN 4:7In this sermon, the speaker shares his experience of preaching in different churches and the importance of prayer partners. He mentions that he had a successful meeting in Bournemouth where many people signed up for his prayer letter. The speaker also talks about the challenges faced in the ministry, such as difficulties in recruiting and financial support. He emphasizes the faithfulness of God in sustaining the ministry and mentions the new challenge of reaching northern Spain.
Corinthians - the Most Exellent Way (2)
By J. Glyn Owen4331:00:25LoveMAT 6:33JHN 13:34ROM 12:91CO 12:31GAL 5:221JN 4:7In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the importance of love in the Christian life. He emphasizes that love is a more excellent way than desiring after the best gifts. Without love, the diversity of the Spirit's gifts cannot be enjoyed without impairing the unity of the church. The preacher then delves into an examination of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, where Paul explains the significance of love. He concludes by stating that faith, hope, and love are essential, but love is the greatest of these.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Beloved, let us love one another - And ever be ready to promote each other's welfare, both spiritual and temporal. For love is of God - And ever acts like him; he loves man, and daily loads him with his benefits. He that loveth most has most of God in him; and he that loveth God and his neighbor, as before described and commanded, is born of God, εκ του Θεου γεγεννηται, is begotten of God - is a true child of his heavenly Father, for he is made a partaker of the Divine nature; and this his love to God and man proves.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Resumption of the main theme (Jo1 2:29). Love, the sum of righteousness, is the test of our being born of God. Love flows from a sense of God's love to us: compare Jo1 4:9 with Jo1 3:16, which Jo1 4:9 resumes; and Jo1 4:13 with Jo1 3:24, which similarly Jo1 4:13 resumes. At the same time, Jo1 4:7-21 is connected with the immediately preceding context, Jo1 4:2 setting forth Christ's incarnation, the great proof of God's love (Jo1 4:10). Beloved--an address appropriate to his subject, "love." love--All love is from God as its fountain: especially that embodiment of love, God manifest in the flesh. The Father also is love (Jo1 4:8). The Holy Ghost sheds love as its first fruit abroad in the heart. knoweth God--spiritually, experimentally, and habitually.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Beloved, let its love one another,.... The apostle having finished what he proposed to say concerning the trying of spirits, returns to his former exhortation to brotherly love, and which comes with fresh force and strength; for since worldly men follow, hear, embrace, and cleave to the false teachers; such as are of God, and on the side of truth, should love one another, and their faithful ministers, and stand fast in one spirit by the truths of the Gospel, in opposition to every error: for love is of God: to love one another is the command of God, it is his revealed will, and is well pleasing in his sight; it comes from him, is a gift of his grace, and a fruit of his Spirit, and which he teaches regenerate ones to exercise: and everyone that loveth God, as the Alexandrian copy reads, or Christ, and the saints, who seem to be particularly meant: is born of God; for love to the brethren is an evidence of regeneration; See Gill on Jo1 3:14; and knoweth God; he knows God in Christ, and therefore loves those who have the grace of God in them, and the image of Christ upon them; he knows the mind and will of God, being taught of God to love the brethren; and he knows the love of God, and has had an experience of the grace of God, which influences him to love the saints.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
As the Spirit of truth is known by doctrine (thus spirits are to be tried), it is known by love likewise; and so here follows a strong fervent exhortation to holy Christian love: Beloved, let us love one another, Jo1 4:7. The apostle would unite them in his love, that he might unite them in love to each other: "Beloved, I beseech you, by the love I bear to you, that you put on unfeigned mutual love." This exhortation is pressed and urged with variety of argument: as, I. From the high and heavenly descent of love: For love is of God. He is the fountain, author, parent, and commander of love; it is the sum of his law and gospel: And every one that loveth (whose spirit is framed to judicious holy love) is born of God, Jo1 4:7. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of love. The new nature in the children of God is the offspring of his love: and the temper and complexion of it is love. The fruit of the Spirit is love, Gal 5:22. Love comes down from heaven. II. Love argues a true and just apprehension of the divine nature: He that loveth knoweth God, Jo1 4:7. He that loveth not knoweth not God, Jo1 4:8. What attribute of the divine Majesty so clearly shines in all the world as his communicative goodness, which is love. The wisdom, the greatness, the harmony, and usefulness of the vast creation, which so fully demonstrate his being, do at the same time show and prove his love; and natural reason, inferring and collecting the nature and excellence of the most absolute perfect being, must collect and find that he is most highly good: and he that loveth not (is not quickened by the knowledge he hath of God to the affection and practice of love) knoweth not God; it is a convictive evidence that the sound and due knowledge of God dwells not in such a soul; his love must needs shine among his primary brightest perfections; for God is love (Jo1 4:8), his nature and essence are love, his will and works are primarily love. Not that this is the only conception we ought to have of him; we have found that he is light as well as love (Jo1 1:5), and God is principally love to himself, and he has such perfections as arise from the necessary love he must bear to his necessary existence, excellence, and glory; but love is natural and essential to the divine Majesty: God is love. This is argued from the display and demonstration that he hath given of it; as, 1. That he hath loved us, such as we are: In this was manifest the love of God towards us (Jo1 4:9), towards us mortals, us ungrateful rebels. God commandeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, Rom 5:8. Strange that God should love impure, vain, vile, dust and ashes! 2. That he has loved us at such a rate, at such an incomparable value as he has given for us; he has given his own, only-beloved, blessed Son for us: Because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him, Jo1 4:9. This person is in some peculiar distinguishing way the Son of God; he is the only-begotten. Should we suppose him begotten as a creature or created being, he is not the only-begotten. Should we suppose him a natural necessary eradication from the Father's glory or glorious essence, or substance, he must be the only-begotten: and then it will be a mystery and miracle of divine love that such a Son should be sent into our world for us! It may well be said, So (wonderfully, so amazingly, so incredibly) God loved the world. 3. That God loved us first, and in the circumstances in which we lay: Herein is love (unusual unprecedented love), not that we loved God, but that he loved us, Jo1 4:10. He loved us, when we had no love for him, when we lay in our guilt, misery, and blood, when we were undeserving, ill-deserving, polluted, and unclean, and wanted to be washed from our sins in sacred blood. 4. That he gave us his Son for such service and such an end. (1.) For such service, to be the propitiation for our sins; consequently to die for us, to die under the law and curse of God, to bear our sins in his own body, to be crucified, to be wounded in his soul, and pierced in his side, to be dead and buried for us (Jo1 4:10); and then, (2.) For such an end, for such a good and beneficial end to us - that we might live through him (Jo1 4:9), might live for ever through him, might live in heaven, live with God, and live in eternal glory and blessedness with him and through him: O what love is here! Then, III. Divine love to the brethren should constrain ours: Beloved (I would adjure you by your interest in my love to remember), if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another, Jo1 4:11. This should be an invincible argument. The example of God should press us. We should be followers (or imitators) of him, as his dear children. The objects of the divine love should be the objects of ours. Shall we refuse to love those whom the eternal God hath loved? We should be admirers of his love, and lovers of his love (of the benevolence and complacency that are in him), and consequently lovers of those whom he loves. The general love of God to the world should induce a universal love among mankind. That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth his rain on the just and on the unjust, Mat 5:45. The peculiar love of God to the church and to the saints should be productive of a peculiar love there: If God so loved us, we ought surely (in some measure suitably thereto) to love one another. IV. The Christian love is an assurance of the divine inhabitation: If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, Jo1 4:12. Now God dwelleth in us, not by any visible presence, or immediate appearance to the eye (no man hath seen God at any time, Jo1 4:12), but by his Spirit (Jo1 4:13); or, "No man hath seen God at any time; he does not here present himself to our eye or to our immediate intuition, and so he does not in this way demand and exact our love; but he demands and expects it in that way in which he has thought meet to deserve and claim it, and that is in the illustration that he has given of himself and of his love (and thereupon of his loveliness too) in the catholic church, and particularly in the brethren, the members of that church. In them, and in his appearance for them and with them, is God to be loved; and thus, if we love one another, God dwelleth in us. The sacred lovers of the brethren are the temples of God; the divine Majesty has a peculiar residence there." V. Herein the divine love attains a considerable end and accomplishment in us: "And his love is perfected in us, Jo1 4:12. It has obtained its completion in and upon us. God's love is not perfected in him, but in and with us. His love could not be designed to be ineffectual and fruitless upon us; when its proper genuine end and issue are attained and produced thereby, it may be said to be perfected; so faith is perfected by its works, and love perfected by its operations. When the divine love has wrought us to the same image, to the love of God, and thereupon to the love of the brethren, the children of God, for his sake, it is therein and so far perfected and completed, though this love of ours is not at present perfect, nor the ultimate end of the divine love to us." How ambitious should we be of this fraternal Christian love, when God reckons his own love to us perfected thereby! To this the apostle, having mentioned the high favour of God's dwelling in us, subjoins the note and character thereof: Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit, Jo1 4:13. Certainly this mutual inhabitation is something more noble and great than we are well acquainted with or can declare. One would think that to speak of God dwelling in us, and we in him, were to use words too high for mortals, had not God gone before us therein. What this indwelling imports has been briefly explained on Jo1 3:24. What it fully is must be left to the revelation of the blessed world. But this mutual inhabitation we know, says the apostle, because he hath given us of his spirit; he has lodged the image and fruit of his Spirit in our hearts (Jo1 4:13), and the Spirit that he hath given us appears to be his, or of him, since it is the Spirit of power, of zeal and magnanimity for God, of love to God and man, and of a sound mind, of an understanding well instructed in the affairs of God and religion, and his kingdom among men, Ti2 1:7.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
4:7-21 John explains the source of a Christian’s love and its outworking.