1 John 4:19

We love him, because he first loved us.

We {G2249} love {G25} him {G846}, because {G3754} he {G846} first {G4413} loved {G25} us {G2248}.

We ourselves love now because he loved us first.

We love because He first loved us.

We love, because he first loved us.

Commentary

Commentary on 1 John 4:19 (KJV)

The Apostle John, often called the "apostle of love," encapsulates a profound theological truth and practical reality in 1 John 4:19: "We love him, because he first loved us." This verse serves as a cornerstone for understanding the nature of Christian love and the believer's relationship with God.

Context

This verse is situated within a larger discussion in 1 John Chapter 4 about the nature of God, the discernment of spirits, and the imperative of love among believers. John repeatedly emphasizes that "God is love" (1 John 4:8, 16). He explains that God's love was supremely demonstrated by sending His Son as a propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10). Our ability and motivation to love God, and consequently to love one another, flow directly from this divine initiative. The preceding verses challenge believers to examine their love, linking it inextricably to their understanding and experience of God's love.

Key Themes

  • Divine Initiative: The verse clearly states that God's love for humanity precedes and enables our love for Him. It's not that we somehow mustered up love for God first and then He responded; rather, His love is the originating cause. This highlights God's grace and sovereignty in salvation.
  • Causal Relationship: Our love for God is presented not as an independent action, but as a direct consequence and grateful response to His prior, unconditional love. This causal link underscores the nature of true worship and devotion.
  • Authenticity of Love: Genuine love for God is rooted in the recognition and reception of His love. It's a love that transforms the heart, compelling a reciprocal affection and obedience.

Linguistic Insights

The Greek word used for "love" throughout this passage, including in verse 19, is agape. This term signifies a self-sacrificial, unconditional, and benevolent love that is not based on emotion or the merit of the beloved, but on a deliberate choice and commitment. When John says "He first loved us," he is referring to God's initiating agape love, which was perfectly demonstrated through Christ's atonement. Our subsequent love (also agape, but humanly expressed) is a reflection and response to this divine model.

Practical Application

1 John 4:19 offers profound comfort and guidance for believers today:

  • Assurance of Salvation: Our relationship with God is not dependent on our fluctuating capacity to love Him, but on His steadfast, initiating love for us. This provides immense security and peace.
  • Motivation for Service: Understanding that God loved us first, even "while we were yet sinners" (Romans 5:8), fuels our desire to obey Him and serve others. Our love for God is a grateful overflow, not a burdensome duty.
  • Foundation for Human Relationships: If our love for God is a response to His love, then our love for others should also be patterned after His selfless example. This verse underpins the command to "love one another" (1 John 4:11), reminding us that we can only truly do so because God first empowered us through His love. It echoes the foundational truth that "God so loved the world" (John 3:16).

This verse reminds us that true love for God is not something we generate independently, but a gracious gift and a divine echo of His own heart.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • 1 John 4:10

    Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins.

  • John 15:16

    Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

  • John 3:16

    For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

  • 2 Corinthians 5:14

    For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

  • 2 Corinthians 5:15

    And [that] he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

  • Titus 3:3

    For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, [and] hating one another.

  • Titus 3:5

    Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
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