1 John 4:16

16 And we have seen and had faith in the love which God has for us. God is love, and everyone who has love is in God, and God is in him.

1 John 4:16 Meaning and Commentary

1 John 4:16

And we have known and believed
Or have a full assurance and knowledge of, and faith in,

the love that God hath to us;
shown as in many instances, so more especially in sending his Son to be the propitiation for our sins, to be the Saviour of us, and that we might live through him.

God is love; (See Gill on 1 John 4:8):

and he that dwelleth in love;
who dwells by faith upon the love of God as displayed in Christ, and abides in the exercise of love to God and to the saints:

dwelleth in God, and God in him; (See Gill on 1 John 4:13); the last clause, "and God in him", is left out in the Syriac version.

1 John 4:16 In-Context

14 And we have seen and give witness that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

15 Everyone who says openly that Jesus is the Son of God, has God in him and is in God.

16 And we have seen and had faith in the love which God has for us. God is love, and everyone who has love is in God, and God is in him.

17 In this way love is made complete in us, so that we may be without fear on the day of judging, because as he is, so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love: true love has no room for fear, because where fear is, there is pain; and he who is not free from fear is not complete in love.