More on Love and Hatred

¹¹ For this is the message you heard^(A) from the beginning:^(B) We should love one another.^{(C) 12} Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one^(D) and murdered his brother.^(E) And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.^{(F) 13} Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,^[a] if the world hates you.^{(G) 14} We know that we have passed from death to life,^(H) because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.^{(I) 15} Anyone who hates a brother or sister^(J) is a murderer,^(K) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.^(L)

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.^(M) And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.^{(N) 17} If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them,^(O) how can the love of God be in that person?^{(P) 18} Dear children,^(Q) let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.^(R)

¹⁹ This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: ²⁰ If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. ²¹ Dear friends,^(S) if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God^{(T) 22} and receive from him anything we ask,^(U) because we keep his commands^(V) and do what pleases him.^{(W) 23} And this is his command: to believe^(X) in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,^(Y) and to love one another as he commanded us.^{(Z) 24} The one who keeps God’s commands^(AA) lives in him,^(AB) and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.^(AC)

On Denying the Incarnation

4 Dear friends,^(AD) do not believe every spirit,^(AE) but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.^{(AF) 2} This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh^(AG) is from God,^{(AH) 3} but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,^(AI) which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.^(AJ)

⁴ You, dear children,^(AK) are from God and have overcome them,^(AL) because the one who is in you^(AM) is greater than the one who is in the world.^{(AN) 5} They are from the world^(AO) and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.^(AP) This is how we recognize the Spirit^[b] of truth^(AQ) and the spirit of falsehood.^(AR)

God’s Love and Ours

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another,^(AS) for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God^(AT) and knows God.^{(AU) 8} Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.^{(AV) 9} This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son^(AW) into the world that we might live through him.^{(AX) 10} This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us^(AY) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.^{(AZ) 11} Dear friends,^(BA) since God so loved us,^(BB) we also ought to love one another.^{(BC) 12} No one has ever seen God;^(BD) but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.^(BE)

¹³ This is how we know^(BF) that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.^{(BG) 14} And we have seen and testify^(BH) that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.^{(BI) 15} If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,^(BJ) God lives in them and they in God.^{(BK) 16} And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love.^(BL) Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.^{(BM) 17} This is how love is made complete^(BN) among us so that we will have confidence^(BO) on the day of judgment:^(BP) In this world we are like Jesus. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,^(BQ) because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

¹⁹ We love because he first loved us.^{(BR) 20} Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister^(BS) is a liar.^(BT) For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen,^(BU) cannot love God, whom they have not seen.^{(BV) 21} And he has given us this command:^(BW) Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.^(BX)