5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah has been born of God,^(A) and everyone who loves the Father 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^[a] His commands. ³ For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden,^{(B) 4} because whatever has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. ⁵ And who is the one who conquers the world^(C) but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?^(D)

The Certainty of God’s Testimony

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:^{[b](H) 8} the Spirit,^(I) the water, and the blood^(J)—and these three are in agreement. ⁹ If we accept the testimony of men, 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 him. 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 doesn’t 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 Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever 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 Him for.^(R)

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

Conclusion

¹⁸ We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the One^[e] who is born of God keeps him,^[f][g](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.^[h] 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.