Some Key Words

Love (agape[26]):

benevolent love, a love that does what is needful for another rather than what is desired by another; good will. This is the love we are to have from God.

Laid down (tithemi[5087]):

to set, place, put, put down, to put off, lay aside, to appoint or assign or ordain, to make or render; to wear or to carry no longer; to place in a passive or horizontal position

Brother (adelphos[80]):

a fellow believer, united by the bond of affection. In its broadest sense, any man.

Heart (splagchnon[4698]):

bowels, the seat of passions, of kindness and compassion; pity or sympathy. This is the word in v17, where we are asked to give for our brothers.

Word (logos[3056]):

intelligence, speech, thought, teaching; a thing spoken of, in mind alone

Tongue (glossa[1100]):

language, dialect

Deed (ergon[2041]):

performance, making, working, object or result of continued working, calling or occupation; any product whatever, anything accomplished by work

Truth (aletheia[225]):

the reality at the basis of and agreeing with the appearance, the essence of the matter; the truth as taught in faith, respecting God and the execution of his purposes through Christ

Assure (peitho[3982]):

to entice or persuade, to assent or believe, to make confident, free from doubt; to rely by inward certainty

Heart (kardia[2588]):

the seat of thought, reason, will, judgement, love, joy, etc., conscience; the center of all physical and spiritual life; the mind as the fountain of thoughts, passions and desires; feelings. This is used in v19 and v20. It is our heart that needs assurance, and which tries to condemn us.

Condemns (kataginosko[2607]):

to know against, to perceive something negative or bad against another, to incriminate; to find fault with, to blame, accuse

Confidence (parrhesia[3954]):

freedom or frankness in speaking, boldness in speech, openness, unwavering confidence of faith; free and fearless confidence

All things (pas[3956]):

every, all things individually and in their totality; all, any, every, the whole

Keep (tereo[5083]):

to keep or watch, to observe as commands; to attend to carefully; hold fast

Are pleasing (arestos[701]):

to please one or be content with, to be dear, pleasant, well-pleasing, to do that which pleases somebody - the actions we take in response to the commandments; agreeable, fit

Believe (pisteuo[4100]):

to believe, have a mental persuasion, be of opinion, have faith; place confidence in, trust in Jesus as able to aid, saving faith

Name (onoma[3686]):

the name, as it helps us to know a thing, a name meaning character described thereby, reputation, name implying authority or dignity, name as representative of the person; everything which the name covers - every thought or feeling aroused by its mention

Paraphrase

16 God's love takes action 17 and so should ours. 18-19 An active love gives us assurance before God 20 even when our heart is lying to us. 21-22 When we keep His commandments our prayers are answered. 23 The commandment is twofold: believe in His Son, and love His children 24 - which will show that He abides in us as confirmed by the Holy Spirit. 

Key Verse

3:17 - God's love cannot be a passive thing. It always gives all it is to help another. If we don't give all we have and are to help, how can we claim to show God's love?

Some Parallel Verses

3:13

Jn 15:18 - the world hated Jesus first, and us because of Him. Jn 17:14 - and because we have His word, which the world does not.

3:14

Jn 5:24 - Those who believe in Jesus have eternal life, Jn 13:35 - and are known by their love for others.

3:15

Mt 5:21 - murder includes hatred and ridicule. Jn 8:44 - and shows our lineage to be of the devil, Gal 5:20 - being a fleshly work, Rev 21:8 - and deserving of eternal punishment in the second death.

3:16

Jn 10:11 - Jesus laid down His life for His people, Jn 15:13 - showing in that His great love. Phil 2:17 - Paul, too, gave all he had for his converts. 1Thes 2:8 - same thought.

3:17

Jas 2:15-16 - to see a need and not address it is worthless love. Deut 15:7 - to help those in need is God's command to His people.

3:18

3:19

3:20

3:21

3:22

Job 22:26 - When God is our greatest treasure, we please Him greatly, and are not ashamed before Him. Mt 7:7 - we are told to ask, and promised that we will receive. Mt 21:22 - the promise hinging on belief. Jn 9:31 - and on righteousness (God doesn't hear a sinner). [This cannot be taken at face-value. It's a rabbinical argument around Jesus' ministry - but the idea of proper basis from which to pray is valid.] Jn 8:29 - Jesus always did what pleased the Father. Heb 13:21 - through Jesus, God equips and enables us to do His will as well.

3:23

Jn 6:29 - What God requires of us is to believe Jesus. This is our work. Jn 1:12 - which belief gives us the rights of children. Jn 2:23 - many believed due to the miracles. Jn 3:18 - to not believe brings judgement. Jn 13:34 - we are to love as Jesus loved. Jn 15:12 - repeated for the hard of hearing.

3:24

Jn 6:56 - those who partake of Jesus abide in Jesus. Jn 10:38 - doing the works of the Father is proof enough of Jesus' godhood. Jn 14:17 - the Holy Spirit abides in us, teaching us truth. Ro 8:9 - the Spirit and Christ - both abide. Ro 8:14 - showing us to be sons of God. Ro 8:16 - to which the Holy Spirit bears witness to our souls. 1Th 4:8 - to reject this witness is to reject God.

 

New Thoughts

Our actions are to be our witness. The call is to love not as a lovely thought or a good idea, but to love in such a way that what we do reflects the reality of our love. I'm also reminded that the heart that condemns is itself condemned as a liar in Jer 17:9. But praise be to God that He is greater! He can speak past our hearts and reveal the truth of His goodness in us!
Hardly a new thought, but v22 clarifies the ask and receive thing pretty well. We receive in our asking when we keep His commandments. Why? Because if we are keeping His commandments our prayers will align with His will, and not be the selfish, self-serving prayers of unbelief, but the Spirit-led heart-cry of God Himself uttered through us!