5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God,^(A) and everyone who loves the Father^[a] also loves the one born of him. ² This is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God and obey^[b] his commands. ³ For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And his commands are not a burden,^{(B) 4} because everyone who has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith.

The Certainty of God’s Testimony

⁵ Who is the one who conquers the world^(C) but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?^{(D) 6} Jesus Christ—he is the one who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water^(E) and by blood.^(F) And the Spirit is the one who testifies,^(G) because the Spirit is the truth. ⁷ For there are three that testify:^{[c](H) 8} the Spirit,^(I) the water, and the blood^(J)—and these three are in agreement. ⁹ If we accept human testimony, God’s testimony^(K) is greater, because it is God’s testimony that he has given about his Son. ¹⁰ The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. The one who does not believe God has made him a liar,^(L) because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about his Son. ¹¹ And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² The one who has the Son has life.^(M) The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life. ¹³ I have written these things to you who believe in the name^(N) of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Effective Prayer

¹⁴ This is the confidence we have before him: If we ask^(O) anything according to his will, he hears us.^{(P) 15} And if we know that he hears whatever we ask,^(Q) we know that we have what we have asked of him.^(R)

¹⁶ If anyone sees a fellow believer^[d] committing a sin that doesn’t lead to death, he should ask, and God will give life to him—to those who commit sin that doesn’t lead to death. There is sin^[e] that leads to death. I am not saying he should pray about that. ¹⁷ All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin that doesn’t lead to death.

Conclusion

¹⁸ We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the one who is born of God keeps him,^[f](S) and the evil one does not touch him. ¹⁹ We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one. ²⁰ And we know that the Son of God has come^(T) and has given us understanding so that we may know the true one.^[g] We are in the true one—that is, in his Son, Jesus Christ.^(U) He is the true God and eternal life.

²¹ Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

Psalm 142

A Cry of Distress

A Maskil of David. When he was in the cave.^(A) A prayer.