Rm5:1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. - NIV
1Jhn2:1My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But
if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus
Christ, the Righteous One. 2He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,
and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 3We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4The
man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a
liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But if anyone obeys his word,
God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:
6Whoever
claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. - NIV
1Jhn2:15Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves
the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in
the world-- the desires [cravings] of the flesh [sinful man] and the desires
[lust] of the eyes and pride in possessions [man's boasting of what he has and
does]--is not from the Father but is from the world. 17And the
world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God
abides [lives] forever. - ESV
1Jhn3:16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for
us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone
has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him,
how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love
with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is
how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in
his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater
than our hearts, and he knows everything.
21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before
God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his
commands and do what pleases him. 23And this is his command: to
believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he
commanded us. 24Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in
them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he
gave us. - NIV
1Jhn4:7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from
God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever
does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This
is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world
that we might live through him. 10This is love:
not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning
sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since
God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No
one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love
is made complete in us. 13We know that
we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And
we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of
the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus
is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And
so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in
love lives in God, and God in him. 17In
this way, love is made complete among us so
that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we
are like him. 18There 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. 19We
love because he first loved us. 20If anyone
says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone
who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has
not seen. 21And he has given us this command:
Whoever loves God must also love his brother. - NIV
2Jhn1:1The elder to the elect [chosen] lady and her children, whom I love in
[the] truth,
and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 2because of the
truth that abides [lives] in us and will be with us forever: 3Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and
from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love. - ESV
Also see: Loving Each Other
Challenge: True Life