1 John 4:10 (GNV)

Passage

Herein is that loue, not that we loued God, but that he loued vs, and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes.

Nearby Context

1 John 4:8 Hee that loueth not, knoweth not God: for God is loue.

1 John 4:9 Herein was that loue of God made manifest amongst vs, because God sent that his onely begotten sonne into this world, that we might liue through him.

1 John 4:10 Herein is that loue, not that we loued God, but that he loued vs, and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes.

1 John 4:11 Beloued, if God so loued vs, we ought also to loue one another.

1 John 4:12 No man hath seene God at any time. If we loue one another, God dwelleth in vs, and his loue is perfect in vs.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "herein", "loue", "loued", "sent", "sonne", "reconciliation", and "sinnes". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "herein" and "loue", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "Herein was that loue of God made..." into verse 11's "Beloued if God so loued vs we...", so "herein" and "loue" 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 "herein" and "loue" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.