¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.^(A) And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.^(B)

¹⁹ This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence:

²⁴ The one who keeps God’s commands^(A) lives in him,^(B) and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.^(C)

² This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh^(A) is from God,^(B)

⁶ We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.^(A) This is how we recognize the Spirit^[a] of truth^(B) and the spirit of falsehood.^(C)

¹³ This is how we know^(A) that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.^(B)

² This is how we know^(A) that we love the children of God:^(B) by loving God and carrying out his commands.

Concluding Affirmations

¹³ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God^(A) so that you may know that you have eternal life.^(B)

¹⁹ We know that we are children of God,^(A) and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.^(B)

²⁰ We know also that the Son of God has come^(A) and has given us understanding,^(B) so that we may know him who is true.^(C) And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.^(D)