Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Herein.
1 John 4:8,9 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love…
1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
not.
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
Deuteronomy 7:7,8 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: …
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.
and sent.
1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Romans 3:25,26 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; …
not that we loved God,
This highlights human inability and the natural state of humanity, which is estranged from God due to sin. Romans 3:10-12 supports this by stating that no one seeks God on their own. It underscores the idea that human love for God is not the starting point; rather, it is a response to His initiative.
but that He loved us
God's love is proactive and unconditional. This reflects the covenantal love seen throughout the Old Testament, where God consistently reaches out to His people despite their unfaithfulness. John 3:16 echoes this sentiment, emphasizing God's love as the motivation for sending His Son.
and sent His Son
This refers to the incarnation of Jesus Christ, a central tenet of Christian faith. The sending of the Son is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, such as Isaiah 7:14 and Isaiah 9:6, which speak of a coming Savior. It also reflects the Trinitarian relationship within the Godhead, where the Father sends the Son.
as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
The term "atoning sacrifice" is translated from the Greek word "hilasmos," which means propitiation or expiation. This concept is rooted in the sacrificial system of the Old Testament, particularly the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16), where sacrifices were made to atone for the sins of the people. Jesus is seen as the ultimate fulfillment of these sacrifices, as described in Hebrews 9:11-14, providing a once-for-all atonement for sin. This underscores the belief in Jesus as the Messiah who reconciles humanity to God.
• Scripture doesn’t leave love to our imagination; it defines it.
• True love is measured not by emotion but by a concrete act of God’s will (1 John 3:16: “By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us”).
• God’s definition stands in contrast to human ideas of love that fluctuate with feelings (John 15:13).
• Love, therefore, is anchored in an objective reality—God’s redemptive plan—not in our subjective experience.
• The verse first eliminates any thought that love originates with us.
• Humanity, left to itself, is spiritually dead and hostile toward God (Romans 3:10-12; Ephesians 2:1-3).
• Our hearts did not naturally reach upward in affection; we were “without hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12).
• Recognizing this humbling truth magnifies the grace that follows.
• Love begins in the heart of God, unprompted by anything worthy in us (Romans 5:8: “But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”).
• God’s love is active, purposeful, and self-initiated (Titus 3:4-5).
• Knowing we contributed nothing fosters gratitude and humility, freeing us from performance-based spirituality.
• Divine love moves toward us: “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son” (John 3:16).
• The Father’s sending of the Son is a historical act—incarnation, life, death, and resurrection (Galatians 4:4-5).
• God’s love is not abstract; it enters time and space in the person of Jesus (1 John 4:9).
• Jesus became the “atoning sacrifice” (propitiation), satisfying God’s righteous wrath and removing guilt (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17).
• Our sins demanded judgment; Christ bore that judgment in our place (Isaiah 53:5-6; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
• This sacrifice is complete and final—nothing needs to be added (1 Peter 2:24).
• God’s love is therefore just as much about holiness as it is about tenderness; the cross upholds both.
1 John 4:10 reveals the very heart of the gospel: love is defined by God’s decisive action, not by our effort. We did not climb to Him; He came to us. The Father’s love is demonstrated through sending His Son, whose atoning death fully satisfies divine justice and secures our forgiveness. All genuine Christian love flows out of receiving this unearned, sacrificial love first.
Verse 10. - Let no man think that any higher manifestation of love than this can be found. It is not in any love of man to his Maker, but in his Maker's love to him, that the real nature of love can be perceived. Note the change from perfect to aorist; ἀπέσταλκεν in verse 9 expresses the permanent results of the mission; ἀπέστειλεν here states the mission as an accomplished fact complete in itself. (For ἱλασμός, see on 1 John 2:2.)