faith and love, together. As soon as John has defined the core belief that Jesus is the Christ as the means by which the new birth is brought about (verse 1a), he immediately moves into the inevitable expression and proof of faith’s existence and genuineness, love for God and for his children (verse 1b). To the apostle these two constituents of Christian reality are as inseparable as two sides of the same coin. Faith that does not lead to love is meaningless. Love that is not based on faith is powerless.