¹⁶ This is how we know what real love is: Jesus gave his life for us. So we should give our lives for each other as brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ Suppose a believer who is rich enough to have all the necessities of life sees a fellow believer who is poor and does not have even basic needs. What if the rich believer does not help the poor one? Then it is clear that God’s love is not in that person’s heart. ¹⁸ My children, our love should not be only words and talk. No, our love must be real. We must show our love by the things we do.

^19-20 That’s how we know we belong to the way of truth. And when our hearts make us feel guilty, we can still have peace before God, because God is greater than our hearts. He knows everything.

²¹ My dear friends, if we don’t feel that we are doing wrong, we can be without fear when we come to God. ²² And God gives us what we ask for. We receive it because we obey God’s commands and do what pleases him. ²³ This is what God commands: that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ, and that we love each other as he commanded. ²⁴ All who obey God’s commands live in God. And God lives in them. How do we know that God lives in us? We know because of the Spirit he gave us.