1 John 4:9 (KJV)

Passage

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

Nearby Context

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

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.

1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "world", "only begotten Son", "manifested", "love", "toward", "sent", and "might". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "world" and "only begotten Son", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "He that loveth not knoweth not God..." into verse 10's "Herein is love not that we loved...", so "world" and "only begotten Son" 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 "world" and "only begotten Son" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.