Study Desk

By this the ^(C1)children of God and the ^(C2)children of the devil are obvious: ^(F1)anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who ^(C3)does not love his ^(C4)brother and sister.

^(C1)For this is the message ^(C2)which you have heard from the beginning, ^(C3)that we are to love one another;

not as ^(C1)Cain, who was of ^(C2)the evil one and murdered his brother. And for what reason did he murder him? Because ^(C3)his own deeds were evil, but his brother's were righteous.

Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if ^(C1)the world hates you.

We know that we have ^(C1)passed out of death into life, ^(C2)because we love the brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death.

Everyone who ^(C1)hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that ^(C2)no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.

We know love by this, that ^(C1)He laid down His life for us; and ^(C2)we ought to lay down our lives for the ^(C3)brothers and sisters.

But ^(C1)whoever has worldly goods and sees his brother or sister in need, and ^(C2)closes his ^(F1)heart ^(F2)against him, ^(C3)how does the love of God remain in him?

^(C1)Little children, let's not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and ^(C2)truth.