We love him, because he first loved us.

"According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, where he has made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Where he has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he has purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

"Here is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to pay for our sins."

"That all nations of men should seek the Lord, if happily they might search after him, and find him, though he is not far from every one of us:
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." [Greek is "genos" = kin, race, family, nation]

"Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us?"

"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good."

"Look at the kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! "

- To the Jews:
"The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands."

- A host of heavenly angels declared:
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. "

"But the man who loves God is known by God."

Again, in context:
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.... And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.... We love because he first loved us."