1 John 3:11-4:21

New King James Version

¹¹For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, ^(A)that we should love one another, ¹²not as ^(B)Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.

¹³Do not marvel, my brethren, if ^(C)the world hates you. ¹⁴We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love ^[a]his brother abides in death. ¹⁵^(D)Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that ^(E)no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

The Outworking of Love

¹⁶^(F)By this we know love, ^(G)because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ¹⁷But ^(H)whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

¹⁸My little children, ^(I)let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. ¹⁹And by this we ^[b]know ^(J)that we are of the truth, and shall ^[c]assure our hearts before Him. ²⁰^(K)For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. ²¹Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, ^(L)we have confidence toward God. ²²And ^(M)whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments ^(N)and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. ²³And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ ^(O)and love one another, as He gave ^[d]us commandment.

The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error

²⁴Now ^(P)he who keeps His commandments ^(Q)abides in Him, and He in him. And ^(R)by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

Love for God and One Another

4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but ^(S)test the spirits, whether they are of God; because ^(T)many false prophets have gone out into the world. ²By this you know the Spirit of God: ^(U)Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, ³and every spirit that does not confess ^[e]that Jesus ^[f]Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

⁴You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than ^(V)he who is in the world. ⁵^(W)They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and ^(X)the world hears them. ⁶We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. ^(Y)By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Knowing God Through Love^(Z)

⁷^(AA)Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who ^(AB)loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹^(AC)In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten ^(AD)Son into the world, that we might live through Him. ¹⁰In this is love, ^(AE)not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son ^(AF)to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹Beloved, ^(AG)if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Seeing God Through Love

¹²^(AH)No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. ¹³^(AI)By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. ¹⁴And ^(AJ)we have seen and testify that ^(AK)the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. ¹⁵^(AL)Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and ^(AM)he who abides in love abides in God, and God ^(AN)in him.

The Consummation of Love

¹⁷Love has been perfected among us in this: that ^(AO)we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. ¹⁸There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. ¹⁹^(AP)We love ^[g]Him because He first loved us.

Obedience by Faith

²⁰^(AQ)If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, ^[h]how can he love God ^(AR)whom he has not seen? ²¹And ^(AS)this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.