1John 3 bible study guide
Author: Steve Amato
Description: Indications of Obedience: How to know whether you have been born of God
Keywords: bible study,1John, bible study, love, righteousness, eternal security, assurance, spirit, murder

Translations: 简体中文 繁體中文

# 1John 2:28- 3:24 (LIT)

#

## Evidence from Righteous Behavior

## Evidence of the Hope of Future Sanctification

vs 28 And now, little children, take up a lifestyle abiding in Him,
that when He should appear at some point in time,
we may be characteristically confident and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
vs 29 If you have perceived that He is righteous,
you know that everyone who practices righteousness as their lifestyle has been born of Him.

3:1 Perceive what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!
Therefore the world characteristically does not know us, because it did not know Him. (John 1:10)
vs 2 Beloved, now we are children of God;
and at this point in time it has not yet been revealed what we shall be,
but we have perceived that when He is revealed at some point, we shall be like Him,
for we shall see Him as He is for ourselves.
vs 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him characteristically purifies himself, just as He is pure.

## Evidence from Not Living a Lifestyle of Sin

vs 4 Whoever characteristically commits sin also characteristically commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
vs 5 And you have perceived that He was revealed (the incarnation) to take away our sins at a point in time, and in Him there is no sin.
vs 6 Whoever characteristically dwells in Him characteristically does not sin.
Whoever characteristically sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
vs 7 Little children, let no one be deceiving you.
He who characteristically does righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
vs 8 He who characteristically sins is of the devil, for the devil characteristically sins from the beginning.
For this purpose the Son of God was revealed, that at a point in time He might destroy the works of the devil.
vs 9 Whoever has been born of God does not live a lifestyle of sin,
for His seed characteristically dwells in him;
indeed he doesn't have the ability in himself to live a lifestyle of sin,
because he has been born of God.

## Evidence from Loving Other Christians

vs 10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are being revealed:
Whoever does not characteristically do righteousness is not of God,
nor is he who does not characteristically love his "brother".
vs 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning,
that we should characteristically love one another,
vs 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his "brother" at some point in time.
And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his "brother"’s righteous.
vs 13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world characteristically hates you.
vs 14 We have perceived that we have passed from death to life,
because we characteristically love the brethren.
He who characteristically does not love his "brother" dwells in death.
vs 15 Whoever characteristically hates his "brother" is a murderer,
and you have perceived that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
vs 16 By this we have known love, because He laid down His life for us.
And we also characteristically ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
vs 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and is seeing his "brother" in need,
and shuts up his heart from him at some point,
how does the love of God characteristically dwell in him?
vs 18 My little children, let us not characteristically love in word or in tongue,
but in deed and in truth.
vs 19 And by this we generally know that we are of the truth,
and shall assure our hearts before Him.
vs 20 For if our heart were to characteristically condemn us,
God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
vs 21 Beloved, if our heart does not characteristically condemn us,
we have confidence toward God.
vs 22 And generally speaking, whatever we ask we receive from Him,
because we characteristically keep His commandments and
characteristically do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
vs 23 And this is His commandment:
that we should at a point in time believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and
characteristically love one another, as He gave us commandment at a point in time.
vs 24 Now he who characteristically keeps His commandments characteristically dwells in Him, and He in him. And by this we generally know that He is characteristically abiding in us, by the Spirit whom He gave us.

# Discussion Questions

From this section, how can you identify whether someone has been born of God?
If Christ were to suddenly appear, would you be confident or suddenly ashamed?
How might you change your life so that you will be unashamed when he returns?
What motivations should we have to purify ourselves from sin?
From 3:4-9 are there any statements that seem to contradict your understanding of Christianity? Why?
Why aren't believers able to live a lifestyle of sin?
Has that been true in your experience?
Will there be free will to sin in heaven?
Are people either children of God or children of the devil, or is there a third option?
What does it mean to do righteousness?
Why is hatred akin to murder?
Have you ever felt that you were hated because you were a Christian?
In extending John's argument, how may we evaluate our thoughts to determine whether we have eternal life dwelling in us?
How is Biblical love different than the world's concept of love?
How do you distinguish between needs and desires? What are examples of needs?
From Jesus' experience, is loving someone necessarily a pleasant experience?
How do people avoid "seeing his brother in need"?
What are examples of deeds? Does truth mean "sincerity" or what?
Having believed, is it inevitable that Christians will love one another?
What behavior can help assure us of answered prayer? Why?
What are the two main commands Christ has given us as Christians?

# Comments

Confident Faith

1John 2:28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

To shrink back in shame at his coming indicates one is not saved, as it says in Heb 10:37-39 "For in just a very little while, 'He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.' (Hab 2:4 LXX) But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved."

Jesus said, "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels." Mr 8:38

Furthermore the Greek word for "confident" indicates "freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech", much as Jesus said, "whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." Mt 10:32,33

Thus what constitutes legitimate faith in Christ is not the "secret" faith of the rulers of John 12:42 who "believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue" Rather, saving faith confidently confesses Christ.

The Right Birth Mark

1John 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

While there is a positional righteousness we receive from Christ, which is namely the forgiveness of sins, yet there is also a righteous behavior characteristic of children of God. What is righteous behavior but simply doing what is right in the eyes of God. True that most people do what they consider right in their own eyes, as Proverbs says, "All a man’s ways seem right to him." Pr 21:2 But to do what is right in the eyes of God is another matter. For "the way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice."Pr 21:15 How do we determine what is right in God's eyes? In cooperation with the Spirit of God through the Word of God in fellowship with the people of God.

Children of God

1John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

It was gracious enough that Christ died for our sins so as to reconcile us to God, but to go beyond that and give us the status of children of God is really over the top! Of course sonship is limited to those who have faith in Christ. "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" Gal 3:26 And "to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" John 1:12

"Now if we are children, then we are heirs— heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ" Rom 8:17

Yet just as the world did not recognize the Son of God so also the world does not recognize the sons of God. But the theme of 1John is that, having known the Father, we can recognize those who have been born of God.

A Motive for Purity
1John 3:2,3 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
Purity is characteristic to believers. Notice he's not making salvation contingent upon purity, but rather he's saying the those who have been born of God do purify themselves. Likewise, speaking from a view point of eternal security he says that we know that we Jesus appears we SHALL be like him. It's not that we might be like him if we're good enough. Those who don't believe eternal security don't believe the gospel and have no basis for the hope spoken of here, namely the anticipation of a future we have confidence in, as opposed to worldly hope which is mere wishful thinking. The motive for purity is not fear of condemnation but a joyful anticipation of becoming like Christ.
Paul, after speaking of scripture which promises, "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty", says, "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." 2Cor 7:1
Applications:
1.So if you want to be motivated to seek holiness, keep in mind your final destiny.
2. If a person isn't purfying themselves, that may be indicative that they don't believe.(In other words another indicator of whether one has been born of God is by whether they are purifying themselves) "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." Ga 5:24

Continuing to Sin?

1John 3:4-6 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

John is clear here that sin is associated with a certain behavior - namely lawlessness. And as Jesus appeared to take away our sins, those who live in him purifying themselves from sin. If a person does continue to sin, that indicates they had never come to know Christ. This is an indicator of whether one has been born of God.

But realize also that the sense in which John is speaking is that of overall lifestyle or the general characateristic of the person. He's using the Greek Present Tense here, which as I mentioned at the beginning of this study he uses in this sense. He's not speaking of what a person might do uncharacteristically from time to time. He's not speaking of sinless perfection here. Nonetheless, as we will see throughout this chapter, this characteristic is measurable. It is something which can be seen and determined to a relative degree.

Don't be Deceived

1John 3:7-8 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

There are many warnings in the New Testament concerning being led astray in this matter. Both in the early church and today many Christians are led astray to believe that there is not necessarily any correlation between one's behavior and one's salvation status. The Bible warns:

> 1Cor 6:9,10 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

> Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

> Ephesians 5:5,6 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person— such a man is an idolater— has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

To the unbelievers Jesus said, "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:44

Those who are children of God reflect the character of their Father, and likewise the children of the devil theirs as will further be elaborated upon in the next verses.

Why You Can't Sin

1John 3:9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

While there have been many different interpretations of this verse, only one is correct. In my analysis at http://www.bcbsr.com/books/1jn3_9.html I conclude that once again John is referring to one's overall lifestyle or that which generally characterizes one's attitudes and behaviors.

Those who have been born of God have lost the ability to live a lifestyle of sin. The word "cannot" in "he cannot go on sinning" (vs 9) is the greek word "dunamai", from which we derive the English word "dynamite", and it refers to the person's ability. This is the effect of being born of God. It affects the person's free will such that it is inevitable that those born of God will exhibit behavior characteristic of children of God. If a child of God tries to live a lifestyle of sin, they find that they cannot do it., just as those who have not been born of God find they are incapable of living the Christian life.

Furthermore, having the seed to remain in us is not a function of personal effort or will. Consider the last phrase "he cannot sin, because he is born of God". "is born" in the Greek is perfect passive. More literally it should be translated "has been born of God". Being born of God is a passive event, not an active event. (John 1:13) One cannot make oneself born of God. And it is because of this past event that happened to a person that he presently is incapable of living a lifestyle of sin. This is the explanation that the Apostle John gives as to why no one born of God continues to sin. Obedience is not a cause but an indication of whether one has been born of God. Bible scholar Howard Marshall also comments on the meaning of the perfect tense as it relates to the participle in 1 John 3:9: "The perfect tense marks not only the single act of birth, but the continuous presence of its efficacy" (Linguistic Key To The Greek New Testament. By Fritz Rienecker & Cleon Rogers, pp. 790-791, Zondervan Corporation Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1980).

The Distinguishing Marks

1John 3:10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

The Greek word for "know" here ("phaneros") means to be plainly recognised. This verse is one of many which answers the question as to how we can plainly recognize whether a person in the Christian community has been born of God or whether they are still children of the devil.

The two distinguishing marks here are:
1. Do they do what is right in God's eyes?
2. Do they love fellow Christians?

The Mark of Cain

1John 3:11,12 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.

Prior to the murder, the only thing recorded of Cain is the following:

> Gen 4:3-5 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Apparently there was something evil about Cain's sacrifice. It says in Heb 11:4,5 "By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings."

While under the Law of Moses grain offerings were accepted, they were contingent upon blood offerings to atone for sin. The modern equivalent would be to feign friendship with God apart from the blood offering made by Jesus Christ. That is to enter God's house not through the door but through some other way.

Cain was involved in a religious activity which outwardly was to honor God, but in fact he was doing evil. So also both in Jesus' time and today, those most hostile against the children of God are those who are zealously involved in false worship. And those who are of the evil one, rather than dealing with their own guilt will characteristically lash out against those who are behaving properly.

If the World Hates You

1John 3:13 Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

Jesus said, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." John 15:18,19

And why did the world hate Jesus? Jesus said, "It hates me because I testify that what it does is evil." John 7:7 If you are born of God you should expect the world to hate you. And why would the world hate you? Because, just like Jesus, you are to testify that what it does is evil.

The world hates being convicted of sin. In fact when you convict the worldly of sin, they typically will respond by claiming that you hate them. Such is the case of false brethren in the Christian community. If other Christians hate you for illegitimate reasons, don't be surprised if they turn out to be children of the devil.

Love and Murder

1John 3:14,15 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

Those who have been born of God have already passed from death to life. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24

The evidence John speaks of here that a person has come to genuine faith in Christ, and has consequently passed from death to life, is their love for fellow Christians. Hatred for fellow Christians is akin to murder - just as John spoke of the Cain as a precedent for such.

Murderers, along with many other categories of sinners, do not have eternal life. To name a few: "the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars— their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur." Rev 21:8 Similar lists are found in 1Cor 6:9,10; Eph 5:5,6; Gal 5:19-21

What is Love?

1John 3:16,17 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?

Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 and this greater love is what we are called to. Biblical love is not simply a "feeling" of affection. Rather it is the willful intention of meeting the real needs of others. As such, Biblical love is measurable by the degree to which you are meeting the real needs of those you allegedly "love".

There are those who grumble against God claiming the God hasn't demonstrated love to them. But while God doesn't demonstrate love to them in the manner in which they would prefer, "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Rom 5:8 Likewise, having demonstrated your own Christian love by meeting the real needs of others, there will be those who will grumble against you because you didn't "love" them in the manner is which they would have preferred. Don't be surprised if the world hate you even when you love them.

Assurance of Salvation

1John 3:18-20 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

How do you know whether you belong to the truth? By evaluating whether your love is simply lip service or whether you actually love in actions and in the truth. Consider Jesus. He loved in action by healing diseases and by dying on the cross, among other things. He love in truth by his teachings. Christians are to love by meeting people's real needs in action and by teaching them the truth. If you're just involved in meeting practical needs, that is not Jesus' example.

> Few object to having their practical needs met, but they may have a hostile reaction when you tell them the truth. In view of this fact many Christians may opt to do the one without the other, or even introduce false ideas. "The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ." Gal 6:12

From time to time our heart will condemn us - whether for legitimate or illegitimate reasons. But if we evaluate our lives as Paul writes, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you— unless, of course, you fail the test?" 2Cor 13:5, and if we determine our love is genuine, John is saying that this fact is meant to give us a feeling of assurance of salvation.

Assurance of Salvation is not simply based upon our claims of faith. It is based upon those measurable and inevitable effects of being born of God, such as genuine love for fellow Christians.

Confidence in Prayer

1John 3:21,22 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.

Confidence that God listens to us in prayer with the intention of doing what we ask is not based upon our feeling of confidence, nor is it simply based upon a literal reading of the promises of answered prayer, such as Matt 21:22 "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Such promises are given under the assumption that you are obeying his commands and doing what pleases him. As such, the degree to which we conform our lives to His will is the degree to which we can have confidence in prayer.

The Spirit's Assurance

1John 3:23,24 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

God has give us his Holy Spirit. "Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?" Gal 3:2 Upon believing in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, you received the Spirit. "And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." Rom 8:9 And "the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children." Rom 8:16

But an alleged witness of the Spirit cannot be taken in isolation. It must have the corroborating evidence of the confession of faith in Christ, submission to his commands and by one's love for fellow Christians.

# Literalized Translation

1John 2
vs 28 And now, little children, take up a lifestyle abiding in Him, that when He should appear at some point in time, we may be characteristically confident and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
vs 29 If you have perceived that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness as their lifestyle has been born of Him.
1John 3
vs 1 Perceive what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world characteristically does not know us, because it did not know Him. (John 1:10)
vs 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and at this point in time it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we have perceived that when He is revealed at some point, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is for ourselves.
vs 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him characteristically purifies himself, just as He is pure.
vs 4 Whoever characteristically commits sin also characteristically commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
vs 5 And you have perceived that He was revealed (the incarnation) to take away our sins at a point in time, and in Him there is no sin.
vs 6 Whoever characteristically dwells in Him characteristically does not sin. Whoever characteristically sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
vs 7 Little children, let no one be deceiving you. He who characteristically does righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
vs 8 He who characteristically sins is of the devil, for the devil characteristically sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed, that at a point in time He might destroy the works of the devil.
vs 9 Whoever has been born of God does not live a lifestyle of sin, for His seed characteristically dwells in him; indeed he doesn't have the ability in himself to live a lifestyle of sin, because he has been born of God.
vs 10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are being revealed: Whoever does not characteristically do righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not characteristically love his brother.
vs 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should characteristically love one another,
vs 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother at some point in time. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.
vs 13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world characteristically hates you.
vs 14 We have perceived that we have passed from death to life, because we characteristically love the brethren. He who characteristically does not love his brother dwells in death.
vs 15 Whoever characteristically hates his brother is a murderer, and you have perceived that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
vs 16 By this we have known love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also characteristically ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
vs 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and is seeing his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him at some point, how does the love of God characteristically dwell in him?
vs 18 My little children, let us not characteristically love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
vs 19 And by this we generally know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
vs 20 For if our heart were to characteristically condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
vs 21 Beloved, if our heart does not characteristically condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
vs 22 And generally speaking, whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we characteristically keep His commandments and characteristically do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
vs 23 And this is His commandment: that we should at a point in time believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and characteristically love one another, as He gave us commandment at a point in time.
vs 24 Now he who characteristically keeps His commandments characteristically dwells in Him, and He in him. And by this we generally know that He is characteristically abiding in us, by the Spirit whom He gave us.

# Rap

2:28 And now continue to dwell, in him so that when he appears You'll be unashamed when he comes, free from any fears 29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that this is true You know that all who do what's right have been born of him too. 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us That we should be called sons of God having been make righteous. The reason the world doesn't know us, is because it knew not God. For Jesus was a stranger to them, so how they treat us is really not odd. 2 We are children of God, and what we will be has not been revealed. But we know when he appears, we'll be like him as we see him for real. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him, strives to live holy and pure. For we know we're destined to be like him, and he is holy for sure. 4 Everyone who sins breaks the law, in fact sin is lawlessness 5 But you know when he appears, he'll give us perfect flawlessness. 6 No one who keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin Has seen or know Christ our Lord, nor does Christ live in him. 7 And this I say to you dear children, let no one lead you astray He who does what is right is righteous, just as Christ is righteous (I'll say!) 8 Those who are of the devil, practice a lifestyle of sinning For the devil also has been sinning, and that from the beginning 9 Of those who live a lifestyle of sin, not one is born of God. God's seed dwells in them changing their life, so from such a life they are barred. 10 Because of this fact we can know, who God's children are And also identify those of the devil, for their behavior is like a scar. For those who don't do what is right, are not children of God but another. And the same goes for him, who does not love his brother. 11 This is the message you've heard from the start: we should love everyone who believes 12 Don't be like Cain who killed his brother, who belonged to the one who deceives Cain killed him cause his works were evil, but his brother's were righteous and good 13 Don't be surprise my brothers, if you're hated for doing what you should 14 Thus we can know from this also, that we have passed from death to life Because we do love our brothers. Those who don't remain under the knife. 15 A murderer is anyone who hates, his brother and his prospects are grim For you know that no murderer, has eternal life in him. 16 This is how we know what love is: Christ Jesus laid his life down So we should do the same, for our brothers in view of the crown. 17 He who sees his brother in need, and has stuff but not any pity How can the love of God be in him, he's not on the way to God's city. 18 Let us not love with words or tongue, but in action and in truth. 19 By this we know we belong to God, when we see him our hearts he'll sooth 20 Whenever our hearts condemn us, let's remember how we've behaved For if we have loved our brothers, that indicates we've been saved. 21 And if our hearts don't condemn us, then we can be bold before God 22 and receive from him what we ask, because all his commands we regard. 23 And what's his command you may ask, but to believe in the name of his Son And also to love one another, that's what he commands everyone. 24 Those who obey his commands, do with him abide. But how do we know he lives in us? By the Spirit he gave as a guide.

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