If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness.

Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble.

But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.

So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.

If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.

And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.

Discerning False Prophets

Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.

If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?

And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.

Faith in the Son of God

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too.

And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son.

All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.

Conclusion

I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.

If you see a fellow believer sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it.