LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Passage: 1 John 3:11-24

Key verse: 23

NIV

More on Love and Hatred

11 For this is the message you heard(A) from the beginning:(B) We should love one another.(C) 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one(D) and murdered his brother.(E) And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.(F) 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,[a] if the world hates you.(G) 14 We know that we have passed from death to life,(H) because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.(I) 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister(J) is a murderer,(K) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.(L)

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.(M) And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.(N) 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them,(O) how can the love of God be in that person?(P) 18 Dear children,(Q) let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.(R)

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,(S) if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God(T) 22 and receive from him anything we ask,(U) because we keep his commands(V) and do what pleases him.(W) 23 And this is his command: to believe(X) in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,(Y) and to love one another as he commanded us.(Z) 24 The one who keeps God’s commands(AA) lives in him,(AB) and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.(AC)

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Footnotes
  1. 1 John 3:13 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 16.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Love One Another

11 For (A)this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, (B)that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like (C)Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? (D)Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers,[a] (E)that the world hates you. 14 We know that (F)we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 (G)Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that (H)no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

16 By this we know love, that (I)he laid down his life for us, and (J)we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But (K)if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet (L)closes his heart against him, (M)how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not (N)love in word or talk but in deed and (O)in truth.

19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, (P)if our heart does not condemn us, (Q)we have confidence before God; 22 and (R)whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and (S)do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, (T)that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and (U)love one another, (V)just as he has commanded us. 24 (W)Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God,[b] and God[c] in him. And (X)by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

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Footnotes
  1. 1 John 3:13 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 14, 16
  2. 1 John 3:24 Greek him
  3. 1 John 3:24 Greek he
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Don't hate -- love! (11-15)

Cain belonged to the evil one. He killed his brother Abel because Abel was a man of faith. If we live by faith, we can expect the world to hate us. But we must live by faith and love others anyway. One who, like Cain, has murder in his heart is dead in sin, for no murderer has eternal life in him. But if, by faith, we love our brothers we know that we have passed from death to life.

2. God is greater than our hearts (16-24)

Love is action, not words or feelings. We can know what love is by looking at Jesus. Jesus loved us and laid down his life for us. When we have the love of God in us, we will act in love toward fellow believers in need. We must love according to the truth; we must love in a way that builds up and encourages others in faith. If we only serve others according to our own feelings we are not really loving them. We must pray for others, and obey God's commands.

Prayer: Lord, come into my heart and rule; help me to love others with your love.

One Word: Believe in Jesus and love one another