1   Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and to love the parent means to love his child; 2   it follows that when we love God and obey his commands we love his children too. 3   For to love God is to keep his commands; and they are not burdensome, because every child of God is victor over the godless world. 4   The victory that defeats the world is our faith, 5   for who is victor over the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

6   This is he who came with water and blood: Jesus Christ. He came, not by water alone, but by water and blood; and there is the Spirit to bear witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7    8   For there are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three are in agreement. 9   We accept human testimony, but surely divine testimony is stronger, and this threefold testimony is indeed that of God himself, the witness he has borne to his Son. 10   He who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his own heart, but he who disbelieves God, makes him out to be a liar, by refusing to accept God's own witness to his Son. 11   The witness is this: that God has given us eternal life, and that this life is found in his Son. 12   He who possesses the Son has life indeed; he who does not possess the Son of God has not that life.

13   This letter is to assure you that you have eternal life. It is addressed to those who give their allegiance to the Son of God.

14   We can approach God with confidence for this reason: if we make requests which accord with his will he listens to us; 15   and if we know that our requests are heard, we know also that the things we ask for are ours.

16   If a man sees his brother committing a sin which is not a deadly sin, he should pray to God for him, and he will grant him life— that is, when men are not guilty of deadly sin. There is such a thing as deadly sin, and I do not suggest that he should pray about that; but although all wrongdoing is sin, 17   not all sin is deadly sin.

18   We know that no child of God is a sinner; it is the Son of God who keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot touch him.

Recall to fundamentals

19   We know that we are of God's family, while the whole godless world lies in the power of the evil one.

20   We know that the Son of God has come and given us understanding to know him who is real; indeed we are in him who is real, since we are in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, this is eternal life. 21   My children, be on the watch against false gods.

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