4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
4:2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
4:3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
4:5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.
4:6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
4:9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
4:11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
4:12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
4:13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
4:15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.
4:16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
4:17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.
4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
4:19 We love because he first loved us.
4:20If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
4:21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but prove the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
4:2 In this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
4:3 And every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming and now is already in the world.
4:4 You are of God, little children; and you have overcome them because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
4:5 They are of the world; therefore they speak out of the world, and the world hears them.
4:6 We are of God; he who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. From this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God, and everyone who loves has been begotten of God and knows God.
4:8 He who does not love has not known God, because God is love.
4:9 In this the love of God was manifested among us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might have life and live through Him.
4:10 Herein is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as a propitiation for our sins.
4:11 Beloved, if God has loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.
4:12 No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
4:13 In this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, that He has given to us of His Spirit.
4:14 And we have beheld and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world.
4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God.
4:16 And we know and have believed the love which God has in us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God abides in him.
4:17 In this has love been perfected with us, that we may have boldness in the day of the judgment because even as He is, so also are we in this world.
4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear has punishment, and he who fears has not been perfected in love.
4:19 We love because He first loved us.
4:20 If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
4:21 And this commandment we have from Him, that he who loves God love his brother also.