1 John 4:15-21

God Is Love

¹⁵ _w Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶ So _x we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. _y God is love, and _z whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ¹⁷ By this _a is love perfected with us, so that _b we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because _c as he is so also are we in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love, but _d perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not _a been perfected in love. ¹⁹ _e We love because he first loved us. ²⁰ _f If anyone says, "I love God," and _g hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot ₁ love God _h whom he has not seen. ²¹ And _i this commandment we have from him: _j whoever loves God must also love his brother.

1. Cross References
   1 John 5:5
   Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
   Romans 10:9
   Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
   Matthew 14:33
   And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God.
   
2. Cross References
   John 6:69
   And we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.
   
3. Cross References
   1 John 4:8
   Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
   
4. Cross References
   1 John 4:12
   No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
   1 John 3:24
   Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
   
5. Cross References
   1 John 2:5
   But whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:
   
6. Cross References
   1 John 2:28
   And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.
   1 John 3:21
   Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God.
   
7. Cross References
   1 John 3:1
   See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
   
8. Cross References
   John 3:18
   Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
   Romans 8:15
   For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!
   
9. Cross References
   1 John 4:17
   By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.
   
10. Cross References
    1 John 4:10
    In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
    
11. Cross References
    1 John 2:4
    Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
    1 John 3:17
    But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?
    
12. Cross References
    1 John 2:9
    Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.
    1 John 2:11
    But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
    
13. Cross References
    1 John 4:12
    No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
    1 Peter 1:8
    Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.
    
14. Cross References
    Galatians 6:2
    Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
    
15. Cross References
    1 John 4:7
    Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
    1 John 3:11
    For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.