chapter and verses 10 - 11
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
In THIS: in what? see verses just before describing the power and cleansing of sin by the BLOOD of CHRIST to all who would believe in HIM! BY THAT the believers in Christ, who are the children of GOD are manifest, or made known! Who ever does not do right and is not washed in the blood of CHRIST is NOT a child of GOD and neither is someone who claims to be and yet does not love his fellow brother or siste in the Lord!
In other words, GODS children all have one thing in common: they love each other because they all love the same LORD and GOD who has redeemed them to Himself!
Verse 11 goes on to illustrate the love of the believers, that they should love one another.
This is a tell tale sign or indicator of whether someone who claims to be a Believer, a Christian, really is one. They will love, be at peace with and have fellowship with, another believer even if they do not really know one another. They have the most important common bond between them, the SAME FATHER AND GOD!!! Hence, they are FAMILY. GOD'S FAMILY!
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