What does 1 John 3:14 mean?

John next adds a key line of evidence that a person has moved from the realm of evil into the realm of God: love. John and his readers loved one another. The Greek root word translated here as "love" is agape. The term implies a selfless, self-sacrificing love focused on other people. Those who exhibit this kind of love give strong evidence to support that they are true believers.

In contrast, John taught that a lack of love is a sign of "abiding" in death. This concept of "abiding" is important, as the intended audience of this letter is Christian believers. Hatred, according to Jesus, is the spiritual equivalent to murder (Matthew 5:21–22). Christians are certainly capable of feeling hate, but such feelings are never the product of fellowship with Christ. As John words it, anyone who hates "abides in death." At the very least, this is serious sin. It is also a possible indication that the person has never had a relationship with Christ, at all.