1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and everyone who loves a parent loves his child. 2 By this we know that we love God’s children – when we love God and carry out his commands. 3 For to love God is to do what he commands and his commands are not a burden, 4 for whatever is born of God overcomes the world. What is the victory by which the world is overcome? Our faith! 5 Who can overcome the world but the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 Jesus Christ, the one who came by water and blood – not by water only but by water and blood – and the Spirit testifies to this because the Spirit is truth. 7 Indeed three testify: 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three agree. 9 We accept human testimony, surely God’s testimony is even stronger! And God’s testimony is the testimony he has given about his Son. 10 The person who believes in the Son of God has that testimony within them. The person who does not believe God has made God a liar, by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is that testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever who doesn’t have God’s Son does not have life.

13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of God’s Son, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 We can approach him with this confidence, that whenever we ask anything that is in accordance with his will, he listens to us. 15 And if we know he hears us – whatever we ask – we know also that what we ask for is ours. 16 If anyone sees one of our people committing some sin that is not a sin leading to death, they should ask, and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

18 We know that those who have been born of God do not keep sinning. God protects his children and the evil one cannot get hold of them. 19 We know that we are God’s children, though the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know the true God – and we are in him who is true, by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 My children, guard yourselves against false ideas of God.

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