Children of God

2:28 And now, little children, remain64 in him,65 so that when66 he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame when he comes back.67 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you also know68 that everyone who practices righteousness has been fathered69 by him.

3:1 (See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that1 we should be called God’s children—and indeed2 we are!3 For this reason4 the world does not know us: because it did not know him.5 3:2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be6 has not yet been revealed. We7 know that8 whenever9 it10 is revealed11 we will be like him, because12 we will see him just as he is.13 3:3 And everyone who has this hope focused14 on him purifies15 himself, just as Jesus16 is pure).17

3:4 Everyone who practices sin18 also practices lawlessness;19 indeed,20 sin is lawlessness. 3:5 And you know that Jesus21 was revealed to take away22 sins, and in him there is no sin. 3:6 Everyone who resides23 in him does not sin;24 everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him. 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness25 is righteous, just as Jesus26 is righteous. 3:8 The one who practices sin is of the devil,27 because the devil has been sinning28 from the beginning. For this purpose29 the Son of God was revealed: to destroy30 the works of the devil. 3:9 Everyone who has been fathered31 by God does not practice sin,32 because33 God’s34 seed35 resides in him, and thus36 he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God. 3:10 By this37 the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: Everyone who does not practice righteousness—the one who does not love his fellow Christian38—is not of God.

God Is Love, So We Must Love One Another

3:11 For39 this is the gospel40 message41 that you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another,42 3:12 not like Cain43 who was of the evil one and brutally44 murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous.

3:13 Therefore do not be surprised, brothers and sisters,45 if the world hates you.46 3:14 We know that47 we have crossed over48 from death to life49 because50 we love our fellow Christians.51 The one who does not love remains in death.52 3:15 Everyone who hates his fellow Christian53 is a murderer,54 and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing55 in him. 3:16 We have come to know love by this:56 that Jesus57 laid down58 his life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians. 3:17 But whoever has the world’s possessions59 and sees his fellow Christian60 in need and shuts off his compassion against him, how can the love of God61 reside62 in such a person?63

3:18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth.64 3:19 And by this65 we will know that we are of the truth and will convince66 our conscience67 in his presence,68 3:20 that69 if our conscience condemns70 us, that71 God is greater than our conscience and knows all things. 3:21 Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God, 3:22 and72 whatever we ask we receive from him, because73 we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing to him. 3:23 Now74 this is his commandment:75 that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he gave76 us the commandment. 3:24 And the person who keeps his commandments resides77 in God,78 and God79 in him. Now by this80 we know that God81 resides in us: by the Spirit he has given us.

Testing the Spirits

4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit,1 but test2 the spirits3 to determine4 if they are from God, because many false prophets5 have gone out into the world. 4:2 By this6 you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses7 Jesus as the Christ8 who has come in the flesh is from God, 4:3 but9 every spirit that does not confess10 Jesus11 is not from God, and this is the spirit12 of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now is already in the world.

4:4 You are from God, little children, and have conquered them,13 because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 4:5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world’s perspective and the world listens to them. 4:6 We are from God; the person who knows God listens to us, but14 whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this15 we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.16

God is Love

4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because17 love is from God, and everyone who loves18 has been fathered19 by God and knows God. 4:8 The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love.20 4:9 By this21 the love of God22 is revealed in us:23 that God has sent his one and only24 Son into the world so that we may live through him. 4:10 In this25 is love: not that26 we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice27 for our sins.

4:11 Dear friends, if God so loved us, then28 we also ought to love one another.29 4:12 No one has seen God at any time.30 If we love one another, God resides31 in us, and his love is perfected in us.32 4:13 By this33 we know that we reside in God34 and he in us: in that he has given us of his Spirit.35 4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior36 of the world.

4:15 If anyone37 confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides38 in him and he in God. 4:16 And we have come to know and to believe39 the love that God has in us.40 God is love, and the one who resides41 in love resides in God, and God resides in him. 4:17 By this42 love is perfected with43 us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as Jesus44 is, so also are we in this world. 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.45 The46 one who fears punishment47 has not been perfected in love. 4:19 We love48 because he loved us first.

4:20 If anyone says49 “I love God” and yet50 hates his fellow Christian,51 he is a liar, because the one who does not love his fellow Christian52 whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.53 4:21 And the commandment we have from him is this: that54 the one who loves God should love his fellow Christian55 too. 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ1 has been fathered2 by God, and everyone who loves the father3 loves the child fathered by him.4 5:2 By this5 we know that we love the children of God: whenever we love God and obey his commandments. 5:3 For6 this is the love of God:7 that we keep his commandments.8 And his commandments do not weigh us down, 5:4 because9 everyone10 who has been fathered by God11 conquers12 the world.13

Testimony About the Son

This14 is the conquering power15 that has conquered16 the world: our faith. 5:5 Now who is the person who has conquered the world except the one who believes that17 Jesus is the Son of God? 5:6 Jesus Christ is the one who came by water and blood—not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because18 the Spirit is the truth. 5:7 For19 there are three that testify,20 5:8 the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three are in agreement.

5:9 If we accept the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, because21 this22 is the testimony of God that23 he has testified concerning his Son. 5:10 (The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son.)24 5:11 And this is the testimony: God25 has given us eternal life,26 and this life is in his Son. 5:12 The one who has the Son27 has this28 eternal29 life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this30 eternal31 life.