1 John 4:17-19

¹⁷ Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

¹⁸ There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

¹⁹ We love Him because He first loved us.

The opening statement of verse 17 may be rendered as follows: “In this is love (i.e., the Divine love) perfected in us.” The “herein” connects the preceding verse with what follows. When God sees the perfecting of His love in us, as shown in our love to others, that is to say, when He sees us united to Him, not only positionally but in practical experience, He sees in us the likeness of His own Son, the One in whom He is well pleased; and in this way “as He is, even so are we in this world.” This last statement has to do with the character of Christ, not with the fact that we are saved because of our identification with Christ. — Vine, page 87.

__________

boldness (v.17) — Compare with 1 John 3:19-21. John’s thought is that the working of God’s perfect love in us does away with fear of God’s judgment at His appearing, so giving confidence and boldness in that day (Matthew 25:31-46; 1 John 2:28). The last part of v.17 shows the holy standing or position of the believer in Christ. — Grace, page 2224.

__________

This (v.18) gives a proof, by way of a general statement of fact, of what was stated in the preceding verse as to our having boldness in the Day of Judgment because love is made perfect in us. In other words, that must be so because of the impossibility of the co-existence of love and fear in the way here mentioned. Fear is expelled by perfect love, and love is prevented by fear from being perfected. … The point is that, where God’s love is being perfected in us, it gives no room for fear; not, again, the fear of God in which we are to walk, a fear lest we should grieve Him, but the fear of meeting with His reprobation. — Vine, page 88.

__________

fears (v.18) — The present participle expresses a habitual state, the state which is the negation of the enjoyment of love; love which is the fulfilling of the Law (Romans 13:10) leaves nothing to be feared. — Vine, page 88.

__________

The “Him” … is not in the most authentic manuscripts. It was introduced as a result of a misapprehension. The Apostle is not here speaking of our showing love to God in response to His love to us; his point is that no exercise of Christian love on our part is possible apart from God’s love to us. — Vine, page 88.