Deep Dive into Love at the Cross: God’s Initiative and Propitiation ( 1 John 4:10 )

Love, often confused with powerful emotion or vague acceptance, is sharply defined in First John 4:10 . The letter insists that love’s true basis is God’s prior, free, and gracious initiative, affirming, “not that we have loved God but that he loved us.” This powerful statement negates any theology suggesting human affection, merit, or choice stands as the starting point of the gospel, especially since humanity is portrayed as hostile enemies and rebels against God.

This divine love is not abstract sentiment; it is anchored in a finished historical act: the Father “sent his Son.” The aim of this mission is propitiation, a costly, wrath-bearing sacrifice located at the cross (Golgotha). Propitiation is a theological term signifying a substitutionary act that definitively deals with concrete human sins (guilt) and successfully turns aside God's righteous wrath, thereby satisfying divine justice and upholding God's holiness. This coordinated work involves the Father initiating and sending, the Son executing propitiation, and the Spirit applying the finished work, confirming the Trinitarian shape of salvation.

The central aim of John’s letter is to provide settled confidence to believers so they may know they have eternal life. Accordingly, Christian assurance resides entirely outside the believer. The anchor is the objective work of Christ as the wrath-bearing substitute, shifting the focus away from self-gaze, fluctuating feelings, or spiritual performance. Assurance rests on the historical fact that God loved first, acted first, and endured the penalty for our sins.

To steady troubled congregations, John set out three tests—doctrinal (right confession), moral (obedience), and social (love for fellow believers)—which serve as evidences of new birth, not as the basis for earning salvation. By grounding love in the propitiatory death of Christ, the verse shapes Christian fellowship and fuels mission, moving believers from fragile introspection to a firm confidence secured by a definitive, historical divine rescue.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

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