4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but atest the spirits, whether they are of God; because bmany false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: cEvery spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess 1that Jesus 2Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than dhe who is in the world. 5 eThey are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and fthe world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. gBy this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Knowing God Through Love

7 hBeloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who iloves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 jIn this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten kSon into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, lnot that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son mto be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, nif God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Seeing God Through Love

12 oNo one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 pBy this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And qwe have seen and testify that rthe Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 sWhoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and the who abides in love abides in God, and God uin him.

The Consummation of Love

17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that vwe may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 wWe love 3Him because He first loved us.

Obedience by Faith

20 xIf someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, 4how can he love God ywhom he has not seen? 21 And zthis commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.