1 John 4:7-12

Expanded Bible

Love Comes from God

⁷ ·Dear friends [^LBeloved], ·we should [let us] love each other, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has ·become God’s child [^Lbeen begotten/fathered by God] and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God ·showed [revealed] his love to us: He sent his one and only Son into the world so that we could have life through him. ¹⁰ This is what real love is: It is not our love for God; it is God’s love for us. He sent his Son ·to die in our place to take away our sins [as the atoning sacrifice/^Tpropitiation for our sins; see 2:2].

¹¹ ·Dear friends [Beloved], if God loved us ·that much [or in this way; John 3:16] we also should love each other. ¹² No one has ever seen God [^CGod the Father; John 1:18], but if we love each other, God ·lives [remains; abides] ·in [or among] us, and his love ·is made perfect [is made complete; comes to full expression] in us.