1 John 3:16-4:10

English Standard Version

¹⁶ By this we know love, that ^(A)he laid down his life for us, and ^(B)we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷ But ^(C)if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet ^(D)closes his heart against him, ^(E)how does God's love abide in him? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not ^(F)love in word or talk but in deed and ^(G)in truth.

¹⁹ By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; ²⁰ for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. ²¹ Beloved, ^(H)if our heart does not condemn us, ^(I)we have confidence before God; ²² and ^(J)whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and ^(K)do what pleases him. ²³ And this is his commandment, ^(L)that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and ^(M)love one another, ^(N)just as he has commanded us. ^24 (O)Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God,^[a] and God^[b] in him. And ^(P)by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

Test the Spirits

4 Beloved, ^(Q)do not believe every spirit, but ^(R)test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for ^(S)many ^(T)false prophets ^(U)have gone out into the world. ² By this you know the Spirit of God: ^(V)every spirit that confesses that ^(W)Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ and every spirit ^(X)that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and ^(Y)now is in the world already. ⁴ Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for ^(Z)he who is in you is greater than ^(AA)he who is in the world. ^5 (AB)They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and ^(AC)the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God. ^(AD)Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know ^(AE)the Spirit of truth and ^(AF)the spirit of error.

God Is Love

⁷ Beloved, ^(AG)let us love one another, for love is from God, and ^(AH)whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ^8 (AI)Anyone who does not love does not know God, because ^(AJ)God is love. ⁹ In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that ^(AK)God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ¹⁰ In this is love, ^(AL)not that we have loved God ^(AM)but that he loved us and sent his Son to be ^(AN)the propitiation for our sins.