The Outworking of Love

16 (A)By this we know love, (B)because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But (C)whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

18 My little children, (D)let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we [a]know (E)that we are of the truth, and shall [b]assure our hearts before Him. 20 (F)For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 John 3:19 NU shall know
  2. 1 John 3:19 persuade, set at rest

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

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.

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