What does 1 John 4:14 mean?

After speaking about the Spirit in verse 13, John transitions to the Father and the Son. John speaks as "we" in this verse, likely referring to the apostles who all saw and testified about Jesus during His life on earth. The reference to seeing Him connects with the opening verses of chapter 1: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands" (1 John 1:1).

The phrase "Savior of the world" is used only one other time in the New Testament. In John 4:42 people from a Samaritan village who saw Jesus after listening to the testimony of the woman at the well with whom Jesus had interacted said to her, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world." Jesus was not only the Savior of the Jews, but also Savior of the Samaritans, as well as the Gentiles John was writing to. Jesus came to offer salvation to all people, Jews and Gentiles alike (Romans 1:16).

This represents the key message of John's letter. The presence and power of Christ in the life of a believer is the most important sign of our relationship with Him. Those who can see and feel the influence of godly love in their lives can be confident that they are part of the family of God. This allows us to serve Him with confidence, knowing that His gospel is for all people.