to abide in God and God in him/her (cf. John 15:9–10). In both instances the dogmatic affirmation (“God is love”) is the basis for the practical or experiential (regeneration and shared life). The results are evident in the individual (confidence before God even “in the day of judgment,” 1 John 4:17) and in the congregation (5:2). As we pursue the theology behind the expression “God is love,” we need to ask first the identity of the one about whom John writes; to whom is John