11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
In a world where there are supposedly multiple “truths,” and all of them depend on who believes in them, there still must be some ideas that are just plain false. So how can we verify any claims to truth? Or even if multiple truths exist, how can we be sure we believe the best one, the one that will meet all of our needs, today and always?
John shows us how we can confirm the truth of the gospel is true. Love for our brothers and acts of righteousness make it evident to the watching world that we are born of God. To illustrate this John appeals to Cain and Able, the first sons, and first examples of hate and murder. Not only does he use them as the ultimate example of lack of love for our brothers, he also points out that Cain killed his brother “because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous (v. 13).” So he points out the antithesis, the animosity between God’s children and those born of the devil, and shows that deeds of righteousness and wickedness preceded the hate as the hate came before the murder. “Do not be surprised, brothers,” he says, “that the world hates you (v. 13).” The world is watching, and our deeds matter, and they reflect the truth we hold.
So, John argues, our love should be visible, tangible, and practical. The supreme demonstration of love is Christ, who laid down His life for us. So we, too, should lay down our lives for our brothers. But while we are waiting around for the opportunity to die for our brothers, we ought, too, to care for their immediate needs. Our love ought at least to include compassion. If we would theoretically die for those around us, but ignore their immediate needs, like food or clothing, our love is suspect.
So our love demonstrates that we are born God. When our love takes the form of compassion and is lived out in tangible, practical application, it is also one of the means God uses to comfort those around us suffering the effects of the fall. Our demonstrations of love, though, are also one of the ways God uses to assure us of His love for us. What better way to convince us that we are His children than to do deeds that reflect His character. “By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him (v. 19).” His love is stronger than our conscience’s power to condemn. So if we love as He loves and “believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another (v. 23),” we can have reassurance that He abides in us and we abide in Him, and that what He says is true.