1 John 4:7-5:21

English Standard Version

God Is Love

⁷Beloved, ^(A)let us love one another, for love is from God, and ^(B)whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸^(C)Anyone who does not love does not know God, because ^(D)God is love. ⁹In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that ^(E)God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ¹⁰In this is love, ^(F)not that we have loved God ^(G)but that he loved us and sent his Son to be ^(H)the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²^(I)No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and ^(J)his love is perfected in us.

¹³^(K)By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴And ^(L)we have seen and testify that ^(M)the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of ^(N)the world. ¹⁵^(O)Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶So ^(P)we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. ^(Q)God is love, and ^(R)whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ¹⁷By this ^(S)is love perfected with us, so that ^(T)we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because ^(U)as he is so also are we in this world. ¹⁸There is no fear in love, but ^(V)perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not ^(W)been perfected in love. ¹⁹^(X)We love because he first loved us. ²⁰^(Y)If anyone says, “I love God,” and ^(Z)hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot^[a] love God ^(AA)whom he has not seen. ²¹And ^(AB)this commandment we have from him: ^(AC)whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Overcoming the World

5 ^(AD)Everyone who believes that ^(AE)Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and ^(AF)everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. ²^(AG)By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. ³For ^(AH)this is the love of God, that we ^(AI)keep his commandments. And ^(AJ)his commandments are not burdensome. ⁴For ^(AK)everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—^(AL)our faith. ⁵Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes ^(AM)that Jesus is the Son of God?

Testimony Concerning the Son of God

⁶This is he who came ^(AN)by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And ^(AO)the Spirit is the one who testifies, because ^(AP)the Spirit is the truth. ⁷For there are three that testify: ⁸the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. ⁹^(AQ)If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God ^(AR)that he has borne concerning his Son. ¹⁰Whoever believes in the Son of God ^(AS)has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God ^(AT)has made him a liar, ^(AU)because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. ¹¹And this is the testimony, that God gave us ^(AV)eternal life, and ^(AW)this life is in his Son. ¹²^(AX)Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

That You May Know

¹³I write ^(AY)these things to you who ^(AZ)believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. ¹⁴And this is ^(BA)the confidence that we have toward him, that ^(BB)if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. ¹⁵And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

¹⁶If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and ^(BC)God^[b] will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. ^(BD)There is sin that leads to death; ^(BE)I do not say that one should pray for that. ¹⁷^(BF)All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

¹⁸We know that ^(BG)everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but ^(BH)he who was born of God ^(BI)protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

¹⁹We know that we are from God, and ^(BJ)the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

²⁰And we know that the Son of God has come and ^(BK)has given us understanding, so that we may know ^(BL)him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and ^(BM)eternal life. ²¹Little children, ^(BN)keep yourselves from idols.