1 John 4:7–12: God Is Love and Sent His Son
First John grounds love in an act of God before it asks anything of us. The Father sent his one and only Son as the atoning sacrifice for sins while we were not yet loving him, and love among believers is the evidence that this love has reached us.
1 John 4:7–12: Love That Begins With God
First John 4:7–12 grounds the command to love one another in God's prior action: he sent his one and only Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins while we had not yet loved him. Mutual love among believers is not an optional extra but the family likeness of those born of God.