God Is Love

⁷ Beloved, ^(A)let us love one another, for love is from God, and ^(B)whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ^8 (C)Anyone who does not love does not know God, because ^(D)God is love. ⁹ In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that ^(E)God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ¹⁰ In this is love, ^(F)not that we have loved God ^(G)but that he loved us and sent his Son to be ^(H)the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ^12 (I)No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and ^(J)his love is perfected in us.

¹⁶ By this we know love, that ^(A)he laid down his life for us, and ^(B)we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

^12 (A)“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ^13 (B)Greater love has no one than this, ^(C)that someone lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are ^(D)my friends ^(E)if you do what I command you. ^15 (F)No longer do I call you servants,^[a] for the servant ^(G)does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for ^(H)all that I have heard from my Father ^(I)I have made known to you.