1 John 4:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

NIV: And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

NASB: We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

CSB: And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as the world’s Savior.

NLT: Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

KJV: And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

NKJV: And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.

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.

First John 4:11–19 is the backbone of John's letter. The primary way Christians are to be recognized is by love. This is not merely what we feel, but what we do for others. True, godly love is the most powerful evidence of being ''born again'' as a child of God. This love comes from God, who loved us before we loved Him. When we live in obedience to God, according to love, we can be confident in our relationship with Him, and have no need to fear His judgment.

Chapter 4 warns Christians not to accept every claim they hear. Instead, believers are to compare what they hear to the basic truths of the gospel. John then returns to the theme of love, explaining how believers ought to live out the presence of God's love in their lives. In addition, living according to God's love takes away our fear of judgment. In no uncertain terms, those who claim to love God, but hate others, are liars.

First John chapter 4 emphasizes the way God's love removes the natural human fear of rejection. Fear is a punishment of its own, and those who do not believe have reason to fear judgment. Believers, on the other hand, have confidence. Not only has Christ forgiven our sins, but He gives us God's love. Following in this love leads to acceptance, which leads to confidence, driving out fear. This passage is the key section of John's letter, explaining how confidence in the life of a believer ought to be accomplished.

First John seems to assume that the reader is familiar with the gospel. Rather than re-state these facts, John is concerned with building confidence in Christian believers. At the same time, his words encourage believers to examine their own lives for signs of their relationship with Christ. This letter also challenges false teachers and their incorrect claims about Jesus. Many themes are shared with the Gospel of John.