Read the Bible

¹ God has showered us with his love like a spring rain on dry ground. He loves us so much he calls us his own kids. And if God says it, it is so. That's why the world treats us like it does. The world doesn't know God and doesn't know us. ² Listen up, cowboys. We've been adopted by God himself, but we don't know just what this entails yet. But we do know this, when Jesus comes riding back, we will be made like him. We'll see him for who he really is and we will see ourselves as we were meant to be, not as we were. ³ This is why we stay away from things that will cast a foul light upon our souls. We keep ourselves pure for the one who is pure.

⁴ Sin is just a word we use for doing anything that goes against what the Boss told us to do. ⁵ Jesus came to save us from our sins. He was the only one who could because he never sinned himself. ⁶ If you ride for Jesus, you don't ride in sin. It's that simple. But those who continue to choose sin over Jesus do not ride for him or know him.

⁷ Don't let anyone pull the wool over your eyes! If you do what is right then you are right, just like Jesus is. ⁸ Those who continue to sin ride for the devil. The devil has sinned from the beginning and teaches others to do the same. Jesus came to defeat what the devil and sin have done in the world.

⁹ Those who ride for God don't continue to sin intentionally. If you ride for God, then you become like God because he is your Boss. God doesn't sin and neither should you. ¹⁰ This is the truth about those who ride for God and those who ride for the Devil. Those who do not do what is right or love others do not ride for God.

Lovin' Each Other

¹¹ The message that has been stuck on repeat is this—love each other. ¹² Don't be like Cain, who rode for the devil and killed his own brother, Abel. Why did Cain kill his own brother? Because Cain did wrong things and Abel did right things.

¹³ So, in light of this, why does it surprise you that the world, who does wrong things, hates you for doing right things? ¹⁴ We have already died and come back to life because we love others. Those who hate are still under the curse of death. ¹⁵ Haters don't have life in them. They are murderers and murderers don't live forever. ¹⁶ This is the definition of love: Christ gave his life for us. We ought to do the same for others. ¹⁷ If we are rich and see someone in need, but do not help, how can we say we love God? ¹⁸ A cowboy's love isn't all talk and no walk. Our love is true and can be seen in everything we do.

Confidence before God

¹⁹ What we do will show the truth of our ride. When we stand before God, we will be confident in our ride with Jesus. ²⁰ Even if we might feel guilty, God is bigger than our feelings because he knows everything.

²¹ Cowboys, guilt keeps us away from God. You can't be bold and feel guilty at the same time. ²² Our prayers will be answered because we ride the way he says to ride and we do things he likes. ²³ This is what God has told us to do—believe in his son, Jesus, and love each other. ²⁴ Do these and you will ride with him and he will ride with you. And we know he is riding with us because the Spirit he sent rides with us twenty-four seven.