1 John 4:16-5:5

Christian Standard Bible

¹⁶ And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. ¹⁷ In this, love is made complete with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment,^(A) because as he is, so also are we in this world.^{(B) 18} There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear,^(C) because fear involves punishment.^[a] So the one who fears is not complete in love.^{(D) 19} We love^[b] because he first loved us.^{(E) 20} If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet hates his brother or sister,^(F) he is a liar.^(G) For the person who does not love his brother or sister^(H) whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.^{[c] 21} And we have this command from him: The one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.

5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God,^(I) and everyone who loves the Father^[d] 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^[e] his commands. ³ For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And his commands are not a burden,^{(J) 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^(K) but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?^(L)