1 John 4:9-19

9 God's love for us has been manifested in that He has sent His only Son into the world so that we may have Life through Him.

10 This is love indeed--we did not love God, but He loved us and sent His Son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

11 Dear friends, if God has so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

12 No one has ever yet seen God. If we love one another, God continues in union with us, and His love in all its perfection is in our hearts.

13 We can know that we are continuing in union with Him and that He is continuing in union with us, by the fact that He has given us a portion of His Spirit.

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

15 Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God--God continues in union with him, and he continues in union with God.

16 And, as for us, we know the love which God has for us, and we confide in it. God is love, and he who continues to love continues in union with God, and God continues in union with him.

17 Our love will be manifested in all its perfection by our having complete confidence on the day of the Judgement; because just what He is, we also are in the world.

18 Love has in it no element of fear; but perfect love drives away fear, because fear involves pain, and if a man gives way to fear, there is something imperfect in his love.

19 We love because God first loved us.