Poetry

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Verses 1-6

How great the love of the Father
That is bestowed upon us.
We are children of this Father
Because of our Lord Jesus.

The reason the world does not know
That we are the children of God,
Is because they live here below
In darkness not knowing our God.

But dear friends this truth is quite clear,
That we are His children right now,
And when our dear Lord does appear
His likeness to us He’ll endow.

Then we will be just like our Lord
When we see him just as He is.
His pure life that we have adored
Moves us to pure living like His.

When we sin we break God’s pure law,
For sin is lawlessness in heart.
But our Lord, who lived without flaw
Appeared, so from sin we could part.

He died to take our sins away
And in him no sin could be found.
He made it so we, made of clay
Can still live a life pure and sound.

So none of us who live in Him
Can keep on sinning any more.
If we do, our light will grow dim,
And we never knew God before.

Verses 7-10

Dear children, please heed then I pray;
Let no one on this lead astray.
He who does what’s right every day
Is righteous in a Christ-like way.

In contrast I want you to see
The sinful man will ever be
A slave for the devil’s great glee,
From that Jesus will set us free.

Satan sinned from the beginning,
And he will ever be sinning,
But we have a new beginning,
Over sin we can be winning.

We have been born by God’s own seed,
And to victory this will lead.
If to God’s Spirit we give heed,
We will in Christ surely succeed.

This is how God’s children are known;
They are no longer so sin prone.
Those who will not God’s will condone
Clearly are not among God’s own.

One who loves not a brother dear
Is not of God it is quite clear.
Unloving Christians none can cheer,
But only those who love each peer.

Verses 11-20

This is the message you heard,
We should love one another,
And we ought never be stirred
To do harm to a brother.

Let us never be like Cain,
Who murdered brother Abel.
He whose blood the ground did stain
Because his faith was stable.

Brothers you too are hated
In this world of hostile Cains.
He who loves not, its stated
In the realm of death remains.

We have passed from death to life
If we love one another,
But endless will be the strife
For one who hates his brother.

How do we know about love?
Jesus is our example.
He came to us from above
Not to our weak lives trample.

He laid down His life for us,
And thus clearly showed us the way.
We are to follow Jesus,
And our lives too give away.

If your brother is in need.
And the love of God’s in you,
You will respond with great speed,
And do what is right and true.

When you do this you will know,
And your heart will be at rest.
God is with you here below,
And will through you others bless.

Let us love not just in words,
But with truth and loving acts.
Do not love by half or thirds,
That from Christ-likeness subtracts.

Our hearts may still condemn us,
But God’s greater than our heart.
So if we love like Jesus,
God will peace to us impart.

Verses 21-24

If our hearts do not condemn us,
Dear friends we have confidence
That when we pray He will hear us,
And guide us by His providence.

For if we do what does please Him,
He will choose to please us too.
He will fill our lives to the brim,
If we give Him what He’s due.

He commands that we love Jesus,
And love one another too.
If we obey, this just frees us
To be channels He works through.

He lives in us and we in Him,
And this is how we know it-
The Spirit of love that’s within
Uses our lives to show it.

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