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John 5:42

ESV But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.
NIV but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.
NASB but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.
CSB but I know you—that you have no love for God within you.
NLT because I know you don’t have God’s love within you.
KJV But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.
NKJV But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.

What does John 5:42 mean?

Jesus knows that these men are not following the will of God for a basic reason: they have rejected the One God sent (John 5:38). This rejection is not based on reason or evidence. Jesus has the support of human testimony (John 5:33), miracles (John 5:36), and the written Word of God (John 5:39). The evidence is there, but the men who deny Christ do so in "refusal" (John 5:40). They have made up their minds (Luke 16:31) and so no proof will ever be enough to change their hearts (Romans 1:18–20).

Ultimately, one cannot genuinely love God if they ignore His words (John 5:46) or His messenger (John 5:23). The opening lines of the gospel of John described Jesus as a light who came into the world (John 1:9–11). The reason men reject this light is not because they can't see it, but because they prefer darkness (John 3:19). The Bible is clear that those who truly seek God will accept Christ (Matthew 7:7–8) because He is the one and only way to be reconciled with the Father (John 14:6). Any claims these men made to loving God were contradicted by their own actions and their refusal to accept God's Son.
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What is the Gospel?
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