What is the meaning of 1 John 4:7? Beloved - John addresses his readers tenderly: “Beloved” (1 John 4:7). The word reminds us we are already loved by God and welcomed into His family. - Earlier, he wrote, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1). - This family identity grounds everything that follows; we love because we are first loved (cf. John 13:34). Let us love one another - Love is not optional; it is the family trait of those born of God. - John repeats this call throughout the letter (1 John 3:11; 3:23). - Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). - Practical expressions: • Meeting tangible needs (1 John 3:17) • Speaking truth graciously (Ephesians 4:15) • Forgiving as we have been forgiven (Ephesians 4:32) Because love comes from God - Love’s origin is not human feeling but God’s nature: “God is love” (1 John 4:8,16). - He poured His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). - The supreme demonstration is the gift of His Son (John 3:16). - Therefore, any genuine love we show is a reflection of His character at work in us. Everyone who loves has been born of God - Love is evidence of the new birth. “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him” (1 John 2:29). - New birth is a divine act: “to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born…of God” (John 1:12-13). - Where self-giving love is present, it signals the Spirit’s transforming power (Galatians 5:22). And knows God - Knowledge here is relational, not merely intellectual. Jesus defined eternal life as “that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). - Genuine knowledge of God produces obedience: “By this we know that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3). - Absence of love exposes false claims: “Whoever does not love does not know God” (1 John 4:8). summary John packs profound truth into a single verse. Because we have been loved and adopted, we are called to love one another. This love originates in God’s own nature, is implanted in us through the new birth, and proves that we truly know Him. Where such love flourishes, the life of God is unmistakably on display. |
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