⁴⁷ Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.^(A) The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

²⁵ In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.^(A)

²⁵ Jesus answered, “I did tell you,^(A) but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me,^{(B) 26} but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.^{(C) 27} My sheep listen to my voice; I know them,^(D) and they follow me.^{(E) 28} I give them eternal life,^(F) and they shall never perish;^(G) no one will snatch them out of my hand.^{(H) 29} My Father, who has given them to me,^(I) is greater than all^[a];^(J) no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

¹⁰ This is how we know who the children of God^(A) are and who the children of the devil^(B) are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love^(C) their brother and sister.^(D)

On Denying the Incarnation

4 Dear friends,^(A) do not believe every spirit,^(B) but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.^{(C) 2} This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh^(D) is from God,^{(E) 3} but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,^(F) which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.^(G)

⁴ You, dear children,^(H) are from God and have overcome them,^(I) because the one who is in you^(J) is greater than the one who is in the world.^{(K) 5} They are from the world^(L) and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.^(M) This is how we recognize the Spirit^[a] of truth^(N) and the spirit of falsehood.^(O)

Faith in the Incarnate Son of God

5 Everyone who believes^(A) that Jesus is the Christ^(B) is born of God,^(C) and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.^(D)

⁹ Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ^(A) does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.^(B)