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Test the Spirits

¹ 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. ² By this you know the Spirit of God: ^(f)every spirit that confesses that ^(g)Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ and 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. ⁴ Little 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. ⁶ We 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

⁷ Beloved, ^(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. ⁹ In 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. ¹⁰ In 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. ¹¹ Beloved, 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. ¹⁴ And ^(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. ¹⁶ So ^(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. ¹⁷ By 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. ¹⁸ There 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. ²¹ And ^(ar)this commandment we have from him: ^(as)whoever loves God must also love his brother.