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Overcoming the World

^1 (C1)Everyone who believes with a deep, abiding trust in the fact that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) is ^(C2)born of God that is, reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose, and everyone who loves the Father also ^(C3)loves ^(F1)the child born of Him.^2 (C1)By this we know without any doubt that ^(C2)we love the children of God: expressing that love when we love God and obey His commandments.³ For the true love of God ^(C1)is this: that we habitually ^(C2)keep His commandments and remain focused on His precepts. And ^(C3)His commandments and His precepts are not difficult to obey.⁴ For ^(F1)everyone ^(C1)born of God is ^(C2)victorious and overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has conquered and overcome the world—our continuing, persistent faith in Jesus the Son of God.

⁵ Who is the one who is victorious and overcomes the world? It is the one who ^(C1)believes and recognizes the fact that Jesus is the Son of God.⁶ This is He who came ^(C1)through water and blood His baptism and death, Jesus Christ—not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. It is ^(C2)the Holy Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. He is the essence and origin of truth itself.⁷ For there are ^(C1)three witnesses:^8 (F1)the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three are in agreement their testimony is perfectly consistent.^9 (C1)If we accept as we do the testimony of men that is, if we are willing to take the sworn statements of fallible humans as evidence, the testimony of God is greater far more authoritative; for this is the testimony of God, that ^(C2)He has testified regarding His Son.¹⁰ The one who believes in the Son of God who adheres to, trusts in, and relies confidently on Him as Savior ^(C1)has the testimony within himself because he can speak authoritatively about Christ from his own personal experience. The one who does not believe God in this way has ^(C2)made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed in the evidence that God has given regarding His Son.¹¹ And the testimony is this: God has given us ^(C1)eternal life we already possess it, and ^(C2)this life is in His Son resulting in our spiritual completeness, and eternal companionship with Him.^12 (C1)He who has the Son by accepting Him as Lord and Savior has the life that is eternal; he who does not have the Son of God by personal faith does not have the life.

This Is Written That You May Know

^13 (C1)These things I have written to you who ^(C2)believe in the name of the Son of God which represents all that Jesus Christ is and does, so that you will know with settled and absolute knowledge that you already have ^(C3)eternal life.¹⁴ This is ^(C1)the remarkable degree of confidence which we as believers are entitled to have before Him: that ^(F1)(C2)if we ask anything according to His will, that is, consistent with His plan and purpose He hears us.¹⁵ And if we know for a fact, as indeed we do that He hears and listens to us in whatever we ask, ^(C1)we also know with settled and absolute knowledge that we have granted to us the requests which we have asked from Him.

¹⁶ If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not lead to death, ^(C1)he will pray and ask on the believer's behalf and God will for him give life to those whose sin is not leading to death. ^(C2)There is a sin that leads to death; ^(C3)I do not say that one should pray for this kind of sin.^17 (C1)All wrongdoing is sin, and ^(C2)there is sin that does not lead to death one can repent of it and be forgiven.

^18 (C1)We know with confidence that ^(C2)anyone born of God does not habitually sin; but He (Jesus) who was born of God carefully ^(C3)keeps and protects him, and ^(C4)the evil one does not ^(C5)touch him.^19 (C1)We know for a fact that ^(C2)we are of God, and ^(C3)the whole world around us lies in the power of the evil one opposing God and His precepts.²⁰ And ^(C1)we have seen and know by personal experience that ^(C2)the Son of God has actually come to this world, and has ^(C3)given us understanding and insight so that we may progressively and personally know ^(C4)Him who is true; and we ^(C5)are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. ^(C6)This is the true God and ^(C7)eternal life.

^21 (C1)Little children (believers, dear ones), guard yourselves from ^(C2)idols—false teachings, moral compromises, and anything that would take God's place in your heart.