1 John 4:17 (ASV)

Passage

Herein is love made perfect with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, even so are we in this world.

Nearby Context

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

1 John 4:16 And we know and have believed the love which God hath in us. God is love; and he that abideth in love abideth in God, and God abideth in him.

1 John 4:17 Herein is love made perfect with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, even 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 punishment; and he that feareth is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:19 We love, because he first loved us.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "world", "herein", "love", "perfect", "boldness", "judgment", and "even". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "world" and "herein", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "And we know and have believed the..." into verse 18's "There is no fear in love but...", so "world" and "herein" 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 "herein" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.