God’s Love
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Real love is being willing to sacrifice much—even life itself—for the good of someone else. You know for certain how much God loves you because he allowed his Son to take the punishment for your sin by dying in your place to free you from eternal judgment. Think of it: God’s Son died so that you could live forever with him. No wonder John wrote, “This is real love”!