1 John 4:1-10 ▼

1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

2 by this you may distinguish the spirit of God: "every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is from God.

3 and every spirit that does not own that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not from God." this is that anti-christian spirit which you have heard was to come, and even now it appears in the world.

4 ye are of God, my dear children, and you have overcome them: because he that is in you, is superior to him that is in the world.

5 they are of the world: therefore their doctrine is worldly, and the world are their disciples.

6 we are of God: he that knoweth God, heareth us; he that is not of God, heareth not us, by this we distinguish the spirit of truth from the spirit of imposture.

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 he that has not social affection, does not know God; for God is love.

9 by this was the love of God displayed towards us, in that God sent his only begotten son into the world, that we might live thro' him.

10 and what heightens his love, was this, that it was not we who first loved God, but it was he that first loved us, and sent his son to expiate our sins.