1 John 3:11-24
On Love and Hatred
11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 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.13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,[b] if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
16 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 and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives 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.
The Disciple John is often called the Love Disciple...John wrote a lot about love and the love that Jesus taught him...Jesus gave His Disciples many teachings on love...On teaching about love He taught from the beginning: We must love each other...Love is one of the foundations of His teachings...We are not to be like Cain who belonged to the evil one...Cain killed his brother...He killed Abel because the things Cain did were evil, and the things his brother did were good...Believers should not be surprised when the people of this world hate you...Believers know that they have left death and have come into life...Believers know this because we love our brothers in Christ...Whoever does not love his neighbor is still in death...Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer...And you know that no murderer has eternal life in him...This is how we know what real love is: Jesus gave his life for us...So we should give our lives for our brothers, as He gave His life for us...Suppose a believer is rich enough to have all that he needs...He sees his brother in Christ who is poor and does not have what he needs...What if the believer does not help the poor brother?...Then the believer does not have God’s LOVE in his heart...My children, our love should not be only words and talk...Our love must be true love...True love is unconditional love...And we should show that love by what we do...Neighbors help neighbors...This is the way we know that we belong to the Way of Truth...When our hearts make us feel guilty, we can still have peace before God...God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things...He knows what we do, and don't do, and how we feel...Believers, if we do not feel that we are doing wrong, we can live without fear when we come to God...And God gives us the things we ask for...We receive these things because we obey God’s commands, and we do what pleases Him...This is what God commands: that we believe in His Son, Jesus, and that we love each other, just as He commanded...The person who obeys God’s commands lives in God...And God lives in him...How do we know that God lives in us? ...We know because of the Spirit whom God gave us...
God's Spirit is in the believer...The Spirit lives in us...The Spirit of God inspires us to love Jesus, His Son...God's LOVE manifested and manifests in Jesus...God is greater than our hearts and our understanding...God is the One who will give the final judgment because His mercy is greater than the heart of any man, and His knowledge is that of Complete Understanding...And Complete Understanding is mercy, forgiveness, grace and Truth...Complete Understanding is LOVE...