1 John 3:16

Do you want to know how to love people properly? Think about Jesus. He really loved us a lot. He loved us so much that he died to save us. In the same way, we have to be ready to do anything to help other Christians. Yes, we even have to be ready to die for them.

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

In Context

15You know, if you hate another Christian, God says that is really bad. He says it is just like you killed that other Christian. And we know that if you kill somebody, you do not have new life from God, and you can’t live with God for ever. So it’s the same if you hate another Christian, you do not have new life from God, and you can’t live with God for ever.

17Think about this. Some of us Christians have food and money. Well, if we see another Christian that needs help, like maybe they don’t have enough food or clothes or something, then we have to feel sorry for them, and we have to help them. If we don’t do that, then we are not loving people in the way that God loves them.

Read all of 1 John 3

Cross References

John 3:16You see, God loved all of the people in the world. He loved everyone so much that he sent them his only son, his special son. God sent him to die instead of them, so that if anyone trusts him, God will not finish them up, but they will live with him for ever.

John 13:34Listen, you have to love each other, just as much as I loved you. This is a new thing I’m telling you, and you have to do it.

Acts 20:28Now you leaders have to make sure you keep on following Jesus properly, and you have to help God’s people to follow him properly too. The Holy Spirit picked you to be their leaders, so look after them properly. Remember, God bought his people with the blood of his own son.

Ephesians 5:2Always love other people, just like Jesus Christ loves us. He loved us so much that he took our payback, and he died instead of us. You know how people used to kill animals and burn them, to give them to God, for the good smell to make him happy. Well, just like those animals, Jesus died. When Jesus died, he gave himself to God. Jesus did that because he loved you. So you have to love other people too.

Philippians 2:17Yes, I’m happy about you. And even if they kill me, I will still be happy. I know that you believe in Jesus and you work for him, and when you do that, you are giving yourselves to God. And if they are going to kill me, I will be giving my body to God too. So we can all be happy about it together.

Matthew Henry on 1 John 3:15-20

Brotherly Love. ( a. d. 80.) 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from… Read the whole commentary →

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Study 1 John 3:16