1 John 4:16 (KJV)

Passage

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Nearby Context

1 John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

1 John 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "known", "believed", "love", "hath", and "dwelleth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "known" and "believed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the..." into verse 17's "Herein is our love made perfect that...", so "known" and "believed" belong inside that flow. In 1 John context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "known" and "believed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.