18Little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19And in this we shall know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20Because if our heart accuse us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things[20]. 21Beloved, if our heart accuse us not, we have confidence toward God. 22And whatever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. 23And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and should love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24And he that keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in him. And in this we know that he abides in us, from the Spirit which he gave us.
IV. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone forth into the world. 2In this ye know the Spirit of God: 3Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God; and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus, is not of God; and this is that of the antichrist, of which ye have heard that it should come; and now, it is already in the world.
4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you, than he who is in the world. 5They are of the world; for this cause they speak of the world, and the world hears them. 6We are of God; he that knows God, hears us; he that is not of God, hears us not. From this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
7Beloved, let us love one another; because love is of God, and every one that loves has been begotten of God, and knows God. 8He that loves not, knew not God; because God is love. 9In this was manifested the love of God in respect to us, that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son, a propitiation for our sins.
11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No man has ever seen God. If we love one another, God abides in us, and the love of him is perfected in us. 13In this we know that we abide in him, and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen, and bear witness, that the Father has sent forth the Son, a Savior of the world. 15Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16And we have known, and have believed, the love that God has in respect to us. God is love; and he that abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
17In this has love been perfected with us[17], that we have confidence in the day of judgment; because as he is, we also are in this world. 18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment[18]; and he that fears is not made perfect in love. 19We love, because he first loved us. 20If any one say, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God love also his brother.
V. Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten of God; and every one that loves him who begot, loves also him that has been begotten of him. 2In this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and do his commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome; 4because all that is begotten of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. 5Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus the Christ; not in the water only, but in the water and in the blood. And the Spirit is that which bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. 7For there are three who bear witness; the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; 8and the three agree in the one[8]. 9If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God, that he has borne witness concerning his Son. 10He that believes on the Son of God has the witness in himself; he that believes not God has made him a liar; because he has not believed in the witness which God has borne concerning his Son. 11And this is the witness, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He that has the Son has the life; he that has not the Son of God has not the life.
13These things I wrote to you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, who believe on the name of the Son of God.
14And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.