I John 3:10-18

I am sure that I could have used dozens of scriptures to illustrate this and to prove it, but it all boils down to this: It is the way we live that reveals who the children of God are.

Those three sections that I have read to you, "by this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35). That illustrates something. The children of God are made known or manifested by the way they live. I John 3:10 makes that very clear.

We understand what righteousness is, and in this context righteousness is love. Loving your brother, to be more specific. To not do anything—I am taking [picking] this out of what John says here—is almost equated as a form of hatred. It is almost equated with murder.

John makes it very clear in verses 17 and 18 [I John 3:17-18] that fine words, or fine thoughts, or fine feelings can never take the place of something that is done.