James and John were naturally fiery and fractious men. Having been with Jesus for the greater part of His ministry, on one occasion, as they were approaching a Samaritan village, the people of which refused to receive Jesus, James and John said to Him, "Lord, wilt thou that we bid fire to come down from heaven, and consume them?" (Luke 9:54). After the Spirit of God regenerated their hearts and dwelt in their souls, they were different men. John especially grew in grace and in knowledge of the truth. His life and outlook were definitely different from what they were in his earlier days. When he wrote his first epistle, about A.D. 85 he spoke largely about love—the love of God for us and our love for God and for the brethren. Tradition tells us that he spent his last days in Ephesus, that he sat in the meetings of believers, and that, when there was a lull in the services, he would say "Let us love one another."

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God" (I John 4:7). John's heart was constantly bubbling over with the love which God had put into his heart. "… 5 and hope putteth not to shame; because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us" (Rom 5:5). According to this verse, the love of God is shed abroad in the heart of the surrendered believer by the Holy Spirit. John insists that Christians should love one another, because love is of God, and everyone who loves is begotten of God and knows God.

While sentiment and emotion are involved in love and are always present, Biblical love is a spiritual force, power that manifests itself in sixteen different ways, as is set forth in the following passage: "Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; 6 rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; 7 beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Love never faileth" (I Cor. 13:4-8a). Blessed and happy is the person in whose heart the love of God abounds. This love is indispensable. All religious professions and activities are of no value unless love predominates in the heart and life.

God So Loved Us

"Herein was the love of God manifested in us, that God hath 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" (I John 4:9,10). I John 4:9 is just another way of saying John 3:16, the people's verse. God showed His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us and made eternal life possible for every one who believes. See Romans 5:8-11. According to verse 10 of our passage, quoted above, God showed His love for us in that He "sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Christ and His blood atonement dealt with the sin question in such a way that God can forgive people all of their sins and transgressions when they believe and receive Christ as the propitiation for their sins—past, present, and future.

Love for the Brethren

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No man hast beheld God at any time: if we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us: 13 hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit" (I John 4:11-13). Since we are begotten of God and the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, we also ought to love one another. Every one who is begotten of God loves those who also have been begotten of Him. According to verse 12, no man has ever beheld God at any time; and, I may add, no one will ever see God in His unveiled glory unless it be "the pure in heart" (Matt. 5:8) and those who follow after "sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). All should consider this point very seriously.

If believers truly love one another, the fact is evident that God is abiding in them and His love is perfected in them. Confirmation of these scriptural facts is the further fact that He has given us His Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts.

John's Witness Concerning the Saviour

In verse 14 John declares that he and his fellow apostles had beheld Jesus and had borne witness that the Father had sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. The apostles were thoroughly convinced that the man, Jesus of Nazareth, was God incarnate, who entered the world to become the Redeemer of mankind. Whosoever, therefore, according to verse 15, confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, the God-man, knows God, and God abides in him, and he in God. Note this reciprocal relationship—God abides in him and he in God, the guarantee of everlasting life.

The Love of God in Us

"And we know and have believed the love which God hath in us. God is love; and he that abideth in love abideth in God and God abideth in him" (I John 4:16). John was very positive in all his assertions regarding Jesus, because there was in his mind no room for doubt. He, therefore, said, "We know and have believed the love which God hath in us." John and the other apostles had seen Jesus and were convinced that He was God in human form. The apostles were not simply believing; they had absolute knowledge. The evidence that Jesus was God in human form overwhelmed them. Hence John said, "We know that the love which is in our hearts is of God."

Boldness Perfected in Love

"Herein is love made perfect with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, even so are we in the world. 18 There is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath punishment; and he that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love, because he first loved us" (I John 4:17-19). According to verse 17, the love in our hearts may be perfected to the extent that we can have boldness in the day of judgment. The Scriptures hold up a very high standard of life and conduct to real believers. Love may be perfected in the believer who is surrendered to God and His will. Being in this state, the believer has boldness in the day of judgment. What is meant by the day of judgment? Jesus has stated that the one who believes has passed out of death into life and does not come into judgment (John 5:24). The judgment of which Jesus and John speak is the judgment of the great white throne, which occurs after the Millennium and before which all the lost appear and hear their doom. Christians, however, appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive their rewards (II Cor. 5:10).

John's statement "There is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear" is indeed a profound revelation. Fear is on every hand, as far as the man of the world is concerned; but the child of God may be perfected in love, in which state there is no fear—of anything. The reason for this statement is that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world, the devil. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us and continues to love us.

Genuine Love

"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, cannot love God whom he hath not seen" (I John 4:20).

If a man say that he loves God and at the same time hates his brother, a fellow—believer in God and in Christ, he is a liar; Satan has deceived him. John concludes this chapter by saying:

"And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also" (I John 4:21).