1 John 4:7-5:5
New King James Version
Knowing God Through Love(A)
7 (B)Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who (C)loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 (D)In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten (E)Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, (F)not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son (G)to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, (H)if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Seeing God Through Love
12 (I)No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 (J)By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And (K)we have seen and testify that (L)the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 (M)Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and (N)he who abides in love abides in God, and God (O)in him.
The Consummation of Love
17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that (P)we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 (Q)We love [a]Him because He first loved us.
Obedience by Faith
20 (R)If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, [b]how can he love God (S)whom he has not seen? 21 And (T)this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
Obedience by Faith
5 Whoever believes that (U)Jesus is the Christ is (V)born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and (W)keep His commandments. 3 (X)For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And (Y)His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For (Z)whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that (AA)has overcome the world—[c]our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but (AB)he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Footnotes
- 1 John 4:19 NU omits Him
- 1 John 4:20 NU he cannot
- 1 John 5:4 M your
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.