I Love God

know and rely on the love God has for me. God is love.

Because:

I live in love. I live in God, and God in me.

In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement, because in this world we are like him.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. I love because he first loved me. If I say, 'I love God' yet hate my brother, I am a liar. For if I do not love my brother, whom I have seen, I cannot love God, whom I have not seen. He has given me this command - because I love God I must also love my brother.

This is how I know that I love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is how I love God: I obey his commands. And his commands are not bur densome. I do not love the world or anything in the world. If I loved the world, the love of the Father would not be in me. If I belonged to the world, it would love me as its own. As it is, I do not belong to the world, but Jesus has chosen me out of the world, That is why the world hates me. I am to keep my life free from the love of money and be content with what I have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.

This is love: that I walk in obedience to his commands. As I have heard from the beginning, his command is that I walk in love. I am to love others in the truth. I should consider how I may spur others on towards love and good deeds. Mercy, peace and love are mine in abundance. Hope does not disappoint me, because God has poured out his love into my heart by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given me. And I know that in all things God works for my good because I love him, and have been called according to his purpose.

(1 John 4:16; 1 John 5:2-3, 1 John 5:15; John 15:19; Heb. 13:5; 2 John 1:6; 3 John 1:1; Heb. 10:24; Jude 1:2; Rom. 5:5; Rom 8:28)