1 John 3:16–24

Love in Action

16 This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life x for us. y We should also lay down our lives for our brothers. z 17 If anyone has this world’s goods a and sees his brother in need b but closes his eyes c to his need—how can God’s love reside in him? d

18 Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action. e 19 This is how we will know we belong to the truth f and will convince our conscience in His presence, 20 even if our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience, and He knows all things. g

21 Dear friends, if our conscience doesn’t condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and can receive whatever we ask from Him because we keep His commands h and do what is pleasing in His sight. 23 Now this is His command: that we believe in the name i of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as He commanded us. 24 The one who keeps His commands remains in Him, j and He in him. And the way we know that He remains in us k is from the Spirit l He has given us.

x	Jn 10:11 Jn 10:14 Jn 10:17–18 Jn 13:37–38 Jn 15:13
y	Is 53:10 Mk 10:45
z	Mk 8:34–35 1 Co 11:1 Php 2:5–8
a	Mk 12:44 Lk 15:12 1 Jn 2:16
b	Ac 2:45
c	2 Co 7:15
d	Jas 2:15–16 1 Jn 2:5
e	Mt 7:21 Jn 13:34–35 Jn 15:12–17 Jas 1:22–25 Jas 2:14–17
f	Jn 14:6 2 Co 11:10 3 Jn 3
g	Ps 139:6 Pr 2:6 Jn 14:28
h	Mk 7:8 Jn 14:15 1 Jn 2:3 1 Jn 5:2
i	Ps 33:21 Is 50:10 Jn 1:12 Jn 3:18 1 Jn 5:13
j	Lk 11:13 Jn 15:4–7 Ac 5:32 Ac 15:8
k	Jn 6:56
l	Ro 8:9–16