I'm only going to comment on one thing you said here. You said what you '
believe is that He places His love in our hearts'.
What should we do with that love placed in our hearts?
1 John 2:5
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the
love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
Now, we do see the word 'perfect' in this verse. The love of God placed in our hearts is 'perfected' when we keep His word. And by keeping His word, we know that we are in Him.
1 John 2:10
He that
loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
Here John brings up one of the commandments Jesus told us to keep. When we keep this commandment, we abide in the light.
1 John 3:10
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that
loveth not his brother.
Here we see how the children of God and the children of the devil are manifested. Whoever does not righteousness (here we see righteousness is something we do), is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. We have two conditions to be a child of God.
1 John 3:11
For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should
love one another.
This is the message John heard from Jesus from the beginning. We should love one another, a commandment of Jesus.
1 John 3:14
We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we
love the brethren. He that
loveth not his brother abideth in death.
Now we see why we are to love the brethren, again, a commandment of Jesus. We have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. This goes right along with what Jesus said. If you want to enter life (pass from death unto life), keep the commandments (the two great commandments are to love God, and our neighbor).
1 John 3:17
But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the
love of God in him?
How do we know if the love of God is in our hearts? If we see a brother in need and shut our compassion from him, we know the love of God does not dwell in us.
1 John 3:18
My little children, let us not
love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
The two great commandments from Jesus are about love. John says we not to love in word and tongue (in other words, just say you love someone), but love in deed (action, works) and in truth.
1 John 3:23
And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and
love one another, as he gave us commandment.
We now have His commandment that should believe (faith) on the name of Jesus, and love one another, as He gave us commandment. So, it's not just faith alone.
1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us
love one another: for
love is of God; and every one that
loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
Here's an very important aspect of love. Everyone who loves, that is in deed and truth, is born of God and knows God. Do I need to comment on the importance of loving others in deed and truth? If one doesn't love others, that is, keep His commandments, is not born of God, nor does he know God.
If this verse doesn't shake an unbelieving and idle heart, then nothing will.
1 John 4:8
He that
loveth not knoweth not God; for God is
love.
Once again, John stresses the importance of love, that is, in deed and truth. If you don't love, you do not know God.
1 John 4:12
No man hath seen God at any time. If we
love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his
love is perfected in us.
If we do not love one another, God does not dwell in us.
1 John 4:16
And we have known and believed the
love that God hath to us. God is
love; and he that dwelleth in
love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Again, John stresses the point of when we dwell in love, we dwell in God and God in us.
1 John 4:20
If a man say, I
love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that
loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he
love God whom he hath not seen?
I hope you are seeing what John is saying about love. If we do not love our brother, in deed and truth, we are a liar.
1 John 4:21
And this commandment have we from him, That he who
loveth God
love his brother also.
Again, a commandment of Jesus is mentioned.
1 John 5:2
By this we know that we
love the children of God, when we
love God, and keep his commandments.
And finally, John says by loving God and keeping His commandments, we know we love the children of God. Again, a commandment of Jesus is mentioned.
Hopefully you will see how important Jesus' commandments are. By keeping them, we are assured of knowing God and entering life.