13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
1 John 4:13-16 ESV
By now, I’m sure you’ve seen how John continues to weave throughout this letter the same themes over and over, just to make sure we’ve examined these things from every angle. In a further attempt to ensure Jesus’ followers are set upon the truth of who Jesus is and why He came, John includes the necessity of confession that Jesus is the Son of God. This truth refutes the false teachers who asserted that Christ did not come in bodily form. Check out this brief excerpt from the Faithlife Study Bible, which summarizes some key points of the whole letter:
“4:16 who resides in love resides in God This phrase, which continues the thought from v. 15, represents the main point of John’s letter: A person who is truly a Christian and part of the Christian community correctly identifies Jesus as the incarnate Son of God. Christians demonstrate their belief in Jesus by loving others, admitting sin, and letting God transform their life (1:6–7; 2:10, 19). These actions also define a person as a true child of God and a member of the believing community.”
Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (1 Jn 4:16). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.