1 John 4:17 (DBY)

Passage

Herein has love been perfected with us that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, that even as *he* is, *we* also are in this world.

Nearby Context

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

1 John 4:16 And *we* have known and have believed the love which God has to us. God is love, and he that abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

1 John 4:17 Herein has love been perfected with us that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, that even as *he* is, *we* also are in this world.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has torment, and he that fears has not been made perfect in love.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "world", "herein", "love", "been", "perfected", "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 have known and have believed..." 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.