What is the meaning of 1 John 4:20? If anyone says, “I love God” Words of devotion are easy to speak, yet Scripture insists that authentic love for God must be more than a verbal claim. Jesus warned, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Love for God begins with a sincere heart (Mark 12:30) but immediately moves toward obedient living (John 14:15). But hates his brother “Brother” points first to fellow believers (1 John 3:14) and, by extension, to every neighbor God places in our path (Luke 10:36-37). Hatred is not merely intense dislike; it is any settled attitude of ill will, exclusion, or indifference (Leviticus 19:17-18). • 1 John 2:9-11: “Whoever hates his brother is in the darkness.” • Romans 12:10: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.” He is a liar John speaks plainly: a profession of love for God that coexists with hostility toward others is false. Such a person “lies and does not practice the truth” (1 John 1:6). The devil “is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44), so persisting in hatred aligns the heart with darkness, not with Christ. Genuine love proves the reality of our new birth (John 13:35). For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen The apostle’s logic is straightforward: if we refuse to show grace to the visible image-bearers beside us, what confidence can we have that we love the invisible God above us? • Matthew 25:40: serving “the least of these” equals serving Christ. • James 2:15-17 exposes the emptiness of faith that withholds practical care. • Proverbs 14:31: “Whoever oppresses the poor taunts his Maker.” Cannot love God, whom he has not seen John’s conclusion is absolute. Love for God and love for people are inseparable strands of one command (Matthew 22:37-40). We cannot claim the greater without practicing the lesser. • 1 John 4:12: “If we love one another, God abides in us.” • 1 Peter 1:8: believers “love Him, though you have not seen Him,” and that invisible love is validated by visible deeds (Galatians 5:6). summary 1 John 4:20 declares that professing love for God while harboring hatred for a brother exposes a lie. The verse ties visible love for people to invisible love for God: the former is the tangible proof of the latter. True conversion produces a heart that both speaks and demonstrates love, reflecting the character of the God who first loved us. |
    |