1 John 4
Test the Spirits
Beloved, ado not believe every spirit, but btest the spirits to see whether they are from God, for cmany dfalse prophets ehave gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: aevery spirit that confesses that bJesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit athat does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and bnow is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for ahe who is in you is greater than bhe who is in the world. 5 aThey are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and bthe world listens to them. 6 We are from God. aWhoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know bthe Spirit of truth and cthe spirit of error.
God Is Love
7 Beloved, alet us love one another, for love is from God, and bwhoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 aAnyone who does not love does not know God, because bGod is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that aGod sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, anot that we have loved God bbut that he loved us and sent his Son to be cthe propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 aNo one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and bhis love is perfected in us.
13 aBy this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And awe have seen and testify that bthe Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of cthe world. 15 aWhoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So awe have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. bGod is love, and cwhoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this ais love perfected with us, so that bwe may have confidence for the day of judgment, because cas he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but aperfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not bbeen perfected in love. 19 aWe love because he first loved us. 20 aIf anyone says, “I love God,” and bhates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God cwhom he has not seen. 21 And athis commandment we have from him: bwhoever loves God must also love his brother.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.