Testing the Spirits

1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2Hereby know you the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world hears them. 6We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Love Comes from God

7Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God. 8He that loves not knows not God; for God is love. 9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12No man has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

15Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him, and he in God. 16And we have known and believed the love that God has to us. God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him. 17Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love. 19We love him, because he first loved us. 20If a man say, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21And this commandment have we from him, That he who loves God love his brother also.