Chapter 4
1 Beloved, don’ t believe every spirit , but test the spirits , whether they are of God , because many false prophets have gone out into the world .
2 By this you know the Spirit of God : every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God ,
3 and every spirit who doesn’ t confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God ; and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes . Now it is in the world already .
4 You are of God , little children , and have overcome them , because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world .
5 They are of the world . Therefore they speak of the world , and the world hears them .
6 We are of God . He who knows God listens to us . He who is not of God doesn’ t listen to us . By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error .
7 Beloved, let ’s love one another , for love is of God ; and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God .
8 He who doesn’ t love doesn’ t know God , for God is love.
9 By this God ’s love was revealed in us , that God has sent his only born Son into the world that we might live through him .
10 In this is love, not that we loved God , but that he loved us , and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God loved us in this way , we also ought to love one another .
12 No one has seen God at any time . If we love one another , God remains in us , and his love has been perfected in us .
13 By this we know that we remain in him and he in us , because he has given us of his Spirit .
14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Saviour of the world .
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God , God remains in him , and he in God .
16 We know and have believed the love which God has for us . God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God , and God remains in him .
17 In this , love has been made perfect amongst us , that we may have boldness in the day of judgement, because as he is , even so we are in this world .
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear , because fear has punishment . He who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us .
20 If a man says , " I love God ," and hates his brother, he is a liar ; for he who doesn’ t love his brother whom he has seen , how can he love God whom he has not seen ?
21 This commandment we have from him , that he who loves God should also love his brother.