1 Whoever believes thatJesus is the Christ isborn of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God andkeep His commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. AndHis commandments are not burdensome.
4 Forwhatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory thathas overcome the world—our faith.
5 Who is he who overcomes the world, buthe who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
The Certainty of God’s Witness
6 This is He who cameby water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood.And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.
7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father,the Word, and the Holy Spirit;and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness on earth:the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
9 If we receivethe witness of men, the witness of God is greater;for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.
10 He who believes in the Son of Godhas the witness in himself; he who does not believe Godhas made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.
11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you maycontinuetobelieve in the name of the Son of God.
Confidence and Compassion in Prayer
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, thatif we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sinwhichdoesnotleadto death, he will ask, andHe will give him life for those who commit sin notleadingto death.There is sinleadingto death.I do not say that he should pray about that.
17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin notleadingto death.
Knowing the True—Rejecting the False
18 We know thatwhoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of Godkeeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
19 We know that we are of God, andthe whole world liesundertheswayofthe wicked one.
20 And we know that theSon of God has come andhas given us an understanding,that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ.This is the true Godand eternal life.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.