1 John 4:7

7 Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God.

1 John 4:7 Meaning and Commentary

1 John 4:7

Beloved, let its love one another
The apostle having finished what he proposed to say concerning the trying of spirits, returns to his former exhortation to brotherly love, and which comes with fresh force and strength; for since worldly men follow, hear, embrace, and cleave to the false teachers; such as are of God, and on the side of truth, should love one another, and their faithful ministers, and stand fast in one spirit by the truths of the Gospel, in opposition to every error:

for love is of God:
to love one another is the command of God, it is his revealed will, and is well pleasing in his sight; it comes from him, is a gift of his grace, and a fruit of his Spirit, and which he teaches regenerate ones to exercise:

and everyone that loveth
God, as the Alexandrian copy reads, or Christ, and the saints, who seem to be particularly meant:

is born of God;
for love to the brethren is an evidence of regeneration; (See Gill on 1 John 3:14);

and knoweth God;
he knows God in Christ, and therefore loves those who have the grace of God in them, and the image of Christ upon them; he knows the mind and will of God, being taught of God to love the brethren; and he knows the love of God, and has had an experience of the grace of God, which influences him to love the saints.

1 John 4:7 In-Context

5 They are of the world, therefore what they say is of the world, and the world listens to them.

6 We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

7 Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God.

8 He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.

9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.