June 29, 2025 – Love Without Borders – 1 John 4:4-9; 20-21

1 John 4:4-9 and 20-21, in the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), emphasize that God is love and that true love is demonstrated by loving others, especially fellow believers. Those who claim to love God but hate others are liars, and love is perfected in believers as they reflect Jesus’s love in this world.

1 John 4:4-9 (NRSV):
Verse 4:
It highlights the power of God within believers, stating that the one who is in them is greater than the one who is in the world.

Verse 7:
It calls for love among believers, emphasizing that love comes from God, and those who love are born of God and know God.

Verse 8:
It states that whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Verse 9:
It describes how God’s love was revealed by sending his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.

1 John 4:20-21 (NRSV):
Verse 20:
It presents a strong statement: those who claim to love God but hate their brothers or sisters are liars. The logic is that if one cannot love those they see, how can they love God whom they have not seen.

Verse 21:
It reiterates the commandment from God that those who love God must also love their brothers and sisters.

1 John 4:4-9
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
4 Little children, you are from God and have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

God Is Love

7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.

1 John 4:20-21
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
20 Those who say, “I love God,” and hate a brother or sister are liars, for those who do not love a brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.