By this the love of God was revealed [a](A)in us, that (B)God has sent His only Son into the world so that we may live through Him. 10 In this is love, (C)not that we loved God, but that (D)He loved us and sent His Son to be (E)the [b]propitiation for our sins. 11 (F)Beloved, if God so loved us, (G)we also ought to love one another.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 4:9 Or among us; or in our case
  2. 1 John 4:10 I.e., means of reconciliation with God by atoning for sins; or sin-offering

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son(A) into the world that we might live through him.(B) 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us(C) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.(D) 11 Dear friends,(E) since God so loved us,(F) we also ought to love one another.(G)

Read full chapter

God showed his love for us when he sent his only Son into the world to give us life. 10 Real love isn't our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we must love each other.

Read full chapter

God Is Love

7-10 My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.

11-12 My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!

Read full chapter