Theology Thursday - The Love of God

1 John 4:7–21 KJV 1900

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 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. 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.

Lesson Abstract

This study of 1 John 4:8 (KJV) emphasizes that God’s love is a moral attribute flowing from His holy and unchanging character. Unlike human affection, God's love is not based on emotion or merit—it is rooted in His will, guided by His truth, and expressed through sacrificial action. God's love is never separated from His justice, nor does it excuse sin; rather, it offers redemption through Christ's atoning work on the cross. This lesson explores the nature, demonstration, and transforming power of divine love, while defending its truth against modern distortions. Believers are encouraged to receive God’s love, reflect it in their relationships, and rest confidently in its eternal faithfulness.

Introduction

In the early 1990s, a young mother in a suburban neighborhood was seen walking her son to school every morning, rain or shine. One day, a neighbor finally asked, “Why do you walk him instead of letting him ride the bus like the others?” She smiled and said, “Because he’s afraid of the noise, and I want him to feel safe until he’s strong enough to go on his own.”

That small act of love was quiet, consistent, and sacrificial. She didn’t make a scene. She didn’t need applause. Her love showed up—daily, patiently, and personally. That’s what real love does. And that’s how God loves us.

Love is one of the most used and misused words in our culture. We say we love pizza, pets, music, or vacations. But God’s love is far more than a feeling or preference—it is a divine attribute rooted in His moral perfection. When the Bible says, “God is love” (1 John 4:8), it reveals a profound truth: that love is not merely something God does; it is who He is. His love is holy, just, sacrificial, and eternal. It flows from His character, not from our performance.

Yet in our modern world, this truth is often misunderstood. Some reduce God’s love to mere tolerance. Others see it as emotional sentimentality. But Scripture paints a different picture—one where love and truth, mercy and justice, holiness and compassion are all harmonized in the heart of God. In this lesson, we will explore how God's love is morally perfect, biblically grounded, and redemptively powerful. Understanding God's love rightly changes how we see Him—and how we live for Him.

Exposition of 1 John 4:7-21

Exposition of 1 John 4:7–21 (KJV)

Theme: God Is Love – The Source, Proof, and Command

Verses 7–8 – Love Flows from God’s Nature

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

John begins with a heartfelt call to believers: love one another. Why? Because love comes from God. True, selfless love (agapē) is evidence of the new birth and a relationship with God. Those who don’t love others reveal they don’t truly know God—because God is love. This isn’t a trait God picked up—it's His essence.

Verses 9–10 – God’s Love Is Proven at the Cross

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us... because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world...”

God’s love isn’t just words—it’s action. He showed His love by sending Jesus, His one and only Son, to give us eternal life. Verse 10 explains that love begins with God, not us. Jesus was sent as the propitiation (wrath-bearing sacrifice) for our sins. The cross is where God's love and justice meet perfectly.

Verses 11–12 – God’s Love Lives in Us

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another...”

If God loved us that sacrificially, we should love others the same way. Even though we can’t see God physically, His love becomes visible when we love one another. Christian love makes the invisible God visible to the world.

Verses 13–16 – God’s Love Assures Us of His Presence

“Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us...”

We know we belong to God because He’s given us His Spirit (v.13). Verses 14–16 emphasize confession and trust in Christ as the Son of God, sent as Savior. As we abide in that truth and walk in love, we experience the assurance of His presence. Love is both the evidence and expression of genuine faith.

Verses 17–18 – God’s Love Casts Out Fear

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear...”

When we are mature in God’s love, fear loses its grip. We don’t have to be terrified of judgment, because we’ve been made complete in Christ. If we still live in fear of punishment, it’s a sign we haven’t fully grasped God’s perfect love.

Verses 19–21 – God’s Love Commands Us to Love Others

“We love him, because he first loved us...”

Our love for God is a response to His love for us. But John gets very practical in v.20—you can’t say you love God and hate people made in His image. Love for God must show up in how we treat others. Anyone who claims to love God must love his brother also.

Summary Statement

1 John 4:7–21 teaches that love is not optional for the believer—it’s essential. It comes from God, is shown in Christ, grows in us by the Spirit, and proves our faith to the world. The more we understand God’s love, the more we reflect it in bold, fearless, and selfless ways.

I. The Meaning of God’s Love:

Love is that attribute by which God is eternally moved to self-communication.

“Love is that attribute of God by which He is inclined to seek the highest good for His creatures, and the communication of Himself to them regardless of the sacrifice involved.”

II. The Scriptural Fact of God’s Love:

John 3:16 “16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

1 John 3:16 “16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

1 John 4:18 “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.”

Matthew 5:45 “45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

III. The Objects of God’s Love

His Son

Matthew 3:17 “17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

John 5:20 “20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.”

John 17:23–24 “23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”

The Believer

John 16:27 “27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.”

The Sinner

John 3:16 “16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 5:20 “20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.”

IV. The Manifestations of God’s Love

In Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross - John 3:16; Romans 5:8 “8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

In Offering Full and Complete Pardon - Isaiah 55:7 “7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts: And let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; And to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

In Ministering to His Own - Deuteronomy 32:9–12 “9 For the Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. 10 He found him in a desert land, And in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, he instructed him, He kept him as the apple of his eye. 11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, Fluttereth over her young, Spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, Beareth them on her wings: 12 So the Lord alone did lead him, And there was no strange god with him.”

In Chastening His Children - Hebrews 12:6–11 “6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

In His Co-Affliction with the Oppressed - Isaiah 63:9 “9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, And the angel of his presence saved them: In his love and in his pity he redeemed them; And he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.”

V. The Quality of God’s Love:

It is Compassionate: Isaiah 63:9 “9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, And the angel of his presence saved them: In his love and in his pity he redeemed them; And he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.”

It is Affectionate: John 17:23 “23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”

It is Benevolent: Luke 6:35 “35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”

It is Merciful: Isaiah 55:7 “7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts: And let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; And to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

It is Uninfluenced: Deuteronomy 7:7–8 “7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”

It is eternal: Ephesians 1:4–5 “4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”

It is Holy - Hebrews 12:6 “6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”