The entire passage found in 1 John 4:7-21 speaks of God’s loving nature. Love is not merely an attribute of God, it is his very nature. God is not only loving, he is fundamentally love. God alone loves in the completeness and perfection of love.
Thus, if God is love and we, his followers, are born of God, then we will also love. God loves us, so we must love one another. A true Christian, one saved by love and filled with God’s love, must live in love toward God and others.
In this section of Scripture, we learn that brotherly love is our response to God’s love. The Lord teaches believers how to show his love to others, to our friends, family, and even our enemies. God’s love is unconditional; his love is very different from the human love we experience with one another because it is not based on feelings. He doesn’t love us because we please him. He loves us simply because he is love.
Love is the true test of Christianity. The character of God is rooted in love. We receive God’s love in our relationship with him. We experience God’s love in our relationships with others.
God’s love is a gift. God’s love is a life-giving, energizing force. This love was demonstrated in Jesus Christ: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love” (John 15:9, ESV). When we receive God’s love, we are enabled through that love to love others.
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