Human love is often conditional, fickle, and spent on what is already lovable. God's love is the opposite: it chose us when we were unlovely, it never fails, and it disciplines for our good. John's whole point is that God does not merely love in the way we do; He is the source of love, and our loving is a faint reflection of His.
Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
1
God's love is unconditional; it does not wait to be earned
Moses told Israel that God did not choose them because they were great, 'but because Yahweh loves you.' Jeremiah heard the same heart: 'I have loved you with an everlasting love.' In the parable, the father loves the younger son before the son has said a word of repentance; he saw him 'while he was still far off' and ran to meet him. God's love is not a reward; it is a choice He made in Himself.
Yahweh didn’t set his love on you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all peoples: but because Yahweh loves you, and because he desires to keep the oath which he swore to your fathers, Yahweh has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Yahweh appeared of old to me, saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you.The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
“He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
It initiates while we are still sinners and enemies
Paul writes that Christ died for the ungodly, and 'God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' John says, 'In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins,' and that we were dead through our trespasses when He made us alive. Human love is usually a response to something attractive; God's love is the cause, not the effect, of our being loved.
For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a righteous person someone would even dare to die. But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Lamentations says, 'It is because of Yahweh's loving kindnesses that we are not consumed... They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.' Paul is persuaded that nothing, neither death nor life nor anything in all creation, 'will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' Hosea's God cannot give up Ephraim: 'How can I give you up? ... my compassion is aroused.' Human love can grow cold or run out; God's love is the one thing that never will.
It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned within me, my compassion is aroused. I will not execute the fierceness of my anger. I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in your midst; and I will not come in wrath.How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.
Like a father has compassion on his children, so Yahweh has compassion on those who fear him.Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
Hebrews quotes the Father's words: 'My son, don't take lightly the chastening of the Lord... For whom the Lord loves, he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives,' and it warns that to be without discipline is to be treated as an intruder, not as a child. Human love that never corrects is indulgence, not love; God's love cares enough about who we become to train us in holiness. The same hand that holds us is the hand that shapes us.
and you have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with children, “My son, don’t take lightly the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by him; For whom the Lord loves, he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives.”And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
But if you are without discipline, of which all have been made partakers, then are you illegitimate, and not children.But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline, neither be weary of his reproof: for whom Yahweh loves, he reproves; even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
John's logic runs one way: 'God is love,' and everyone who loves 'has been born of God, and knows God,' while 'we love him, because he first loved us.' The Father's love is the very ground of our identity: 'See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!' We do not climb up to a god who barely tolerated us; we are welcomed into a family whose Father runs to meet us, and whose love gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes 'should not perish, but have eternal life.'
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God. He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love.Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Yahweh appeared of old to me, saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you.The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
For whom the Lord loves, he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives.”For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.