1 John 3:19
If we love people properly, then we are living God’s way, and we will know for sure that we belong to God. And if we ever feel shame, and if we think maybe we don’t belong to God, we can remember that God knows everything, and he says that we belong to him. Then we will feel happy inside ourselves. We have to trust what God says, not the way we feel.
Plain English Version
In The King James Version
And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
In Context
Cross References
John 18:37Then Pilate said, “So it is true that you are a big boss?” Jesus said, “Yes, you said that I am a big boss, and you are right. And I was born into this world so that I can tell everyone God’s true message. If anyone really wants to know the true message, they take notice of the things I say.”
Romans 8:38I’m really sure that nothing at all can make God stop loving us. Even if they kill us, it doesn’t matter, God still loves us. Those good spirits, the angels, they will not stop him. And those bad spirits, they can’t make him stop loving us. Things that happen now will not stop him, and things that will happen later will not stop him either. No strong spirit anywhere can stop him from loving us. Nothing anywhere. Nothing way up in the sky, nothing way down in the sea, nothing anywhere can stop him loving us. You see, God showed us that he loves us. He sent Jesus Christ, our leader, to die for us.
1 John 3:14But we are not like those people. You see, God gave us new life. It’s like our spirits used to be dead, but now they are alive. We know that we have new life because we love other Christians. That shows that our spirits are alive. But if anyone does not love other Christians, that shows that their spirit is still dead.
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 →