All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.”
1 John 4:20 - Easy To Read Version If a person says, “I love God,” but that person hates his brother or sister \{in Christ\}, then that person is a liar. That person can see his brother, but he hates him. So that person cannot love God, because he has never seen God! Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? Amplified Bible - Classic Edition If anyone says, I love God, and hates (detests, abominates) his brother [in Christ], he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, Whom he has not seen. American Standard Version (1901) If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen. Common English Bible Those who say, “I love God” and hate their brothers or sisters are liars. After all, those who don’t love their brothers or sisters whom they have seen can hardly love God whom they have not seen! Catholic Public Domain Version If anyone says that he loves God, but hates his brother, then he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother, whom he does see, in what way can he love God, whom he does not see? Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother; he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God, whom he seeth not? |
All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.”
You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You can’t see him now, but you believe in him. You are filled with a joy that cannot be explained. And that joy is full of glory.
So if we say that we have fellowship {\cf2\super [3]} with God, but we continue living in darkness (sin), then we are liars—we don’t follow the truth.
If we say that we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
But the person who hates his brother or sister is in darkness. He lives in darkness. That person does not know where he is going. Why? Because the darkness has made him blind.
A person says, “I know God!” But if that person does not obey God’s commands, then that person is a liar. The truth is not in him.
A person says, “I am in the light. {\cf2\super [4]} ” But if that person hates his brother or sister \{in Christ\}, then he is still in the darkness (sin).
Suppose a believer is rich enough to have all the things he needs. He sees his brother \{in Christ\} who is poor and does not have the things he needs. What if the believer who has things does not help the poor brother? Then the believer who has the things he needs does not have God’s love in his heart.
No person has ever seen God. But if we love each other, then God lives in us. If we love each other, then God’s love has reached its goal—it is made perfect in us.