1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God,a and everyone who loves the FatherA also loves the one born of him. 2This is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God and obeyA his commands. 3For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. And his commands are not a burden,a 4because everyone who has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith.

The Certainty of God’s Testimony

5Who is the one who conquers the worlda but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?b 6Jesus Christ — he is the one who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by watera and by blood.b And the Spirit is the one who testifies,c because the Spirit is the truth. 7For there are three that testify:a a 8the Spirit,a the water, and the bloodb — and these three are in agreement. 9If we accept human testimony, God’s testimonya is greater, because it is God’s testimony that he has given about his Son. 10The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. The one who does not believe God has made him a liar,a because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about his Son. 11And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12The one who has the Son has life.a The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13I have written these things to you who believe in the namea of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Effective Prayer

14This is the confidence we have before him: If we aska anything according to his will, he hears us.b 15And if we know that he hears whatever we ask,a we know that we have what we have asked of him.b

16If anyone sees a fellow believerA committing a sin that doesn’t lead to death, he should ask, and God will give life to him — to those who commit sin that doesn’t lead to death. There is sinB that leads to death. I am not saying he should pray about that. 17All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin that doesn’t lead to death.

Conclusion

18We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the one who is born of God keeps him,a a and the evil one does not touch him. 19We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one. 20And we know that the Son of God has comea and has given us understanding so that we may know the true one.A We are in the true one — that is, in his Son, Jesus Christ.b He is the true God and eternal life.

21Little children, guard yourselves from idols.