1 John 4

English Standard Version

Test the Spirits

4 Beloved, ^(A)do not believe every spirit, but ^(B)test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for ^(C)many ^(D)false prophets ^(E)have gone out into the world. ²By this you know the Spirit of God: ^(F)every spirit that confesses that ^(G)Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³and every spirit ^(H)that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and ^(I)now is in the world already. ⁴Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for ^(J)he who is in you is greater than ^(K)he who is in the world. ⁵^(L)They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and ^(M)the world listens to them. ⁶We are from God. ^(N)Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know ^(O)the Spirit of truth and ^(P)the spirit of error.

God Is Love

⁷Beloved, ^(Q)let us love one another, for love is from God, and ^(R)whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸^(S)Anyone who does not love does not know God, because ^(T)God is love. ⁹In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that ^(U)God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ¹⁰In this is love, ^(V)not that we have loved God ^(W)but that he loved us and sent his Son to be ^(X)the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²^(Y)No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and ^(Z)his love is perfected in us.

¹³^(AA)By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴And ^(AB)we have seen and testify that ^(AC)the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of ^(AD)the world. ¹⁵^(AE)Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶So ^(AF)we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. ^(AG)God is love, and ^(AH)whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ¹⁷By this ^(AI)is love perfected with us, so that ^(AJ)we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because ^(AK)as he is so also are we in this world. ¹⁸There is no fear in love, but ^(AL)perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not ^(AM)been perfected in love. ¹⁹^(AN)We love because he first loved us. ²⁰^(AO)If anyone says, “I love God,” and ^(AP)hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot^[a] love God ^(AQ)whom he has not seen. ²¹And ^(AR)this commandment we have from him: ^(AS)whoever loves God must also love his brother.