1 John 4:11 Beloved, since God thus loved us, we also ought to love one another.
John continues his exhortation (see verses 1 and 7) and calls his readers to love. The first part of this verse reflects back on verses 7-10 and God’s supreme example of love through Jesus’ atoning death, assumed in the word thus. God’s love is unconditional, since God demonstrates the power of love through sending his Son to die for us, even while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). The word ei in Greek is often translated as “if”; however, since there is no doubt of God’s love, since is the better translation.
John’s goal in writing is not to call his readers to love God but to love one another. God’s love does something in us and to us. First, it changes our hearts of stone, hardened and resistant, to hearts of flesh, open and pliable. Second, our love changes from self-focused to others-focused. We become engaged in our world, especially with those in need (physical, emotional, spiritual). Our basis for service is not our own motivation or out of our own strength, however good these may be. We serve because we are compelled by the love of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14). God’s love obligates us to love others. We have a debt of love (Romans 13:8). The “debt” part comes from what God’s grace does for us in salvation. We repay our debt to God by loving others with God’s love. We owe others love, but we cannot “pay” or give this love to them as God has created us to give without God’s help. As we love others, we are also expressing our love for God. The link is significant: God loves us; therefore, we love one another. God’s love in us is not fulfilled until we love one another.