Faith in God’s Son Who Became a Human Being
1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children as well. 2Here is how we know that we love God’s children. We know it when we love God and obey his commands. 3In fact, here is what it means to love God. We love him by obeying his commands. And his commands are not hard to obey. 4That’s because everyone who is a child of God has won the battle over the world. Our faith has won the battle for us. 5Who is it that has won the battle over the world? Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
6Jesus Christ was born as we are, and he died on the cross. He wasn’t just born as we are. He also died on the cross. The Holy Spirit is a truthful witness about him. That’s because the Spirit is the truth. 7There are three that are witnesses about Jesus. 8They are the Holy Spirit, the birth of Jesus, and the death of Jesus. And the three of them agree. 9We accept what people say when they are witnesses. But it’s more important when God is a witness. That’s because it is what God says about his Son. 10Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts what God says about him. Whoever does not believe God is calling him a liar. That’s because they have not believed what God said about his Son. 11Here is what God says about the Son. God has given us eternal life. And this life is found in his Son. 12Whoever belongs to the Son has life. Whoever doesn’t belong to the Son of God doesn’t have life.
Final Words
13I’m writing these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God. I’m writing so you will know that you have eternal life. 14Here is what we can be sure of when we come to God in prayer. If we ask anything in keeping with what he wants, he hears us. 15If we know that God hears what we ask for, we know that we have it.
16Suppose you see any brother or sister commit a sin. But this sin is not the kind that leads to death. Then you should pray, and God will give them life. I’m talking about someone whose sin does not lead to death. But there is a sin that does lead to death. I’m not saying you should pray about that sin. 17Every wrong thing we do is sin. But there are sins that do not lead to death.
18We know that those who are children of God do not keep on sinning. The Son of God keeps them safe. The evil one can’t harm them. 19We know that we are children of God. We know that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20We also know that the Son of God has come. He has given us understanding. So we can know the God who is true. And we belong to the true God by belonging to his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
21Dear children, keep away from statues of gods.
Faith in the incarnate Son of God
1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
6This is the one who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7For there are three that testify: 8the5:7,8 Late manuscripts of the Vulgate testify in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. 8 And there are three that testify on earth: the (not found in any Greek manuscript before the fourteenth century) Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed 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. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Concluding affirmations
13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.
16If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray 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. 17All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
18We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 19We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
21Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.
