¹⁷ Suppose someone has ·enough to live [^Lthe world’s possessions/goods] and sees a brother or sister [^Cfellow believer] in need, but ·does not help [^Lcloses off his heart/compassion from him]. ·Then God’s love is not living in that person [^LHow does God’s love abide/remain in him?]. ¹⁸ My children [2:1], we should love people not only ·with words and talk [^Lin word and tongue], but ·by our actions and true caring [or by showing true love through our actions; ^Lin deed and truth].

·This is the way [^LBy this] we ·know [^Lwill know; ^Cperhaps in a future moment of crisis] that we belong to the ·way of truth [^Ltruth]. ·When [or If] our hearts [^Cour conscience] ·make us feel guilty [condemn/convict us], ·we can still have peace before God [our hearts can be reassured before him]. God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything [1 Cor. 4:3–5].