Bible Study on 1John 4, verses 14 to 21, God is love

 

1John 4:14 ¶  And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15  Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

The essence of salvation is belief and faith. We confess that Jesus Christ is and was God in the flesh. He loved the world at the Cross and loves those who believe in Him for eternity and we love our brothers and sisters in Christ because He loved us first.

Romans 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 

1John 4:17 ¶  Herein is our love made perfect, that 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 casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19  We love him, because he first loved us. 20  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21  And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Our love is completed, finished, and made entire and full when we stand before God in judgment. We have shared in the divine mind on this earth being filled with the Holy Ghost upon our receiving of Christ as our Saviour and as God in the flesh. We have the mind of Christ who are born again. We need not fear or worry as we are eternally saved. I have been over this many times in other letters such as Hebrews. Because He loved us first we are able to love Him. Loving God is only possible because of His love for us first. But we cannot say we love God if we hate our brothers and sisters in Christ. The person who loves God loves the brethren also. This is a fundamental of the Christian faith.

This is a recurrent theme of John’s letters.

Luke 10:27  And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.