1 John 4:9

1 John 4:9 (NKJV)
“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”

Exegetical Commentary

1. “In this the love of God was manifested toward us”
   John points back to verses 7–8, where true love is shown as originating in God and known by those who dwell in Him. Here “manifested” (Gk. ēphanerōthē) emphasises that God’s love is not an abstract attribute but a visible, active reality in history and experience.
2. “That God has sent His only begotten Son”
   The phrase “only begotten” (Gk. monogenēs) stresses the uniqueness of Christ’s Sonship. He alone bears the Father’s essence, coming forth once “into the world” as true God and true man. This sending is the fullest conceivable evidence of divine love, for in the Son God stoops to rescue sinners by assuming their flesh.
3. “That we might live through Him”
   The purpose clause (hina zōmen di’ autou) shifts focus from divine initiative to human reception. “Live” (zō ōmen) here denotes not merely biological survival but eternal, abundant life—union with Christ in justification, sanctification and perseverance. This life is both present (union by the Spirit) and future (glorification) in scope.

Theological Insights

• Covenant Love and Election
  In covenant theology, God’s love in Christ is the outworking of His eternal decree to redeem a people for Himself. The sending of the Son is the covenantal pledge that those given to Christ by the Father shall “live through Him” (John 6:39; 17:2–3).
• Union with Christ
  Believers are united to Christ by the Holy Spirit. The same love that “sent” the Son now vivifies us, implanting Christ’s life within our souls so that we grow in holiness and bear love as fruit (Romans 8:10; Galatians 2:20).
• Christ’s Two Natures
  The emphasis on the incarnate Son combats ancient errors (e.g. Docetism). Christ is “very God and very man” so that His obedience, suffering and resurrection are sufficient for our justification and sanctification.

Application to Modern Christian Living

1. Grounding Our Assurance
   When doubt assails, we return to the manifestation of God’s love in Christ. Our hope rests not on feelings but on the objective fact of the Son’s sending and our union with Him.
2. Motivated Mission
   If God loved us by sending Christ, we too must demonstrate love by sacrificial service. Evangelism and compassion flow from knowing that we “might live” only through Him—and others desperately need that life.
3. Daily Dependence
   Each morning, we acknowledge afresh that our spiritual vitality—peace, joy, holiness—derives from Christ’s life in us. This nurtures humility, for it realises that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5).
4. Embodied Worship
   As God became flesh, our worship must be incarnational: expressed in gatherings of praise, in acts of mercy, in justice and reconciliation. Faithful witness enacts the same love that first sent the Son.

Teaching from 1 John 4:9

God’s love is revealed supremely in the sending of His unique Son into our broken world, and the sole purpose of that mission is that we might share His life. Believers live not by self-effort but by continual reliance on Christ’s indwelling presence, which transforms both our worship and our daily love for others.