1 John 4:10
New International Version (NIV)
This is love: not that we loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
New Living Translation (NLT)
This is real love—not that we loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
New King James Version (NKJV)
In this is love, not that we loved God,
but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
World English Bible (WEB)
In this is love, not that we loved God,
but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
What is the meaning of 1 John 4:10
In this verse, the author of 1 John, traditionally believed to be the apostle John, is explaining what love is. He says that love is not something that we generate ourselves, but rather it is something that God initiates and demonstrates toward us. God’s love is shown through the sending of his Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for our sins. This verse teaches that God’s love for us is selfless, self-sacrificial, and unconditional. It is not based on anything we do or do not do, but rather it is an expression of God’s grace and mercy.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked WEB are from The World English Bible and are in the Public Domain.
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