1 John 4:12 - 21

Seeing God Through Love

12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

The Consummation of Love

17 Love has been perfected among us in this: 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 casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Obedience by Faith

20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

As we begin John here makes a statement that if you have read your bible you will have issues with:

12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

When John says “no one has seen..” the Greek word is oudeis which means “not even one”. So what about all the places where men have claimed to see God in scripture?

Gen 32:30

Genesis 32:30 NKJV

30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”

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The perfected in vs 12 is in the Perfect Passive meaning as we love one another God remains in us, His love continues to mature in us.

Vs 13 is much like 4:1 -6;

By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

Remember Spirit is pneuma. Its not how much scripture you know or hpw perfect you seem to live. It’s all about the presence of His Spirit in our lives.

Vs 14 - 16

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

Testify is martyreō, we get martyr from this word. It means - to be a witness, i.e. testify (literally or figuratively):—charge, give (evidence), bear record, have (obtain, of) good (honest) report, be well reported of, testify, give (have) testimony, (be, bear, give, obtain) witness.

seen means to see with your own eyes. To behold, view attentively.

John wrote in 3 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

After all those years, maybe 60 years, John is still amazed.

Vs 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

This is the mystery and simplicity of being born again. Do you think that because someone says Jesus is the Son of God as a teenager and does not walk with God the rest of his life that he is saved?

Vs 16 the answer is given on the word believed , pisteuō. is the Greek and is in the Perfect Active tense meaning we believed at a point in time and have continued to pisteuō believe.

pisteúō, pist-yoo'-o; from G4102; to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ):—believe(-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.

Now John changes gears in 17 - 19 and he talks about our final judgement before Christ.

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

Boldness could also be translated confidence, Why can we have confidence before Christ? Because we are living like Him now.

Vs 18 is a familiar verse: There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

Why is there no fear in love?

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Vs 19 We love Him[fn] because He first loved us.

It all starts with Jesus. He is the actor we are the reactors.

Closing

Vs 20, 21 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can[fn] he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

Notice the contrast, if you say you love God, whom you have not seen, but then hate your brother who you have seen, the two are not congruent.

In verse 21, the word must is not there but is implied as it is a commandment.