11 Yes, this is the message that you all heard from the beginning: to be loving each other[ref]—12 not living like Kayin (Cain) who belonged to the evil one and went on to murder his brother.[ref] And why did he kill him? Because his own actions were evil, but his brother Hevel (Abel) followed God’s instructions.

13 And friends, don’t be surprised if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have transferred from death to life because we are loving our fellow believers. Anyone who doesn’t love others is stuck in death.[ref] 15 Everyone who hates another person is a murderer, and you all know that murderers don’t have eternal life in them. 16 We know about real love because we saw that Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) gave up his life for us, and we should give up our lives for our fellow believers. 17 But anyone who’s enjoying being alive and notices that a fellow believer is in need yet shuts that other believer’s needs out of their conscience, how can God’s love be living in that person? 18 So you new believers, don’t just proclaim that you’re loving people, but actually demonstrate it in actions and in fact. 19 That’s how we’ll know that the truth really is in us.

At the same time, we need to tell ourselves 20 that if we are feeling condemned, God is greater than our feelings and he knows everything. 21 Then dear friends, if we’re not feeling condemned, we have confidence in God 22 and confidence that whatever we are requesting from him, we will receive it because we are following his instructions and doing the things that please him. 23 And this is his command: We need to believe in the authority of his son, Yeshua the messiah, and we should love each other as per the command that Yeshua gave to us.[ref] 24 Anyone who follows his commands is living in him, and he is living in them and we have confirmation that he is living in us, because we have the spirit that he gave to us.