Testing the Spirits

1BELOVED, believe not every pretender to inspiration, but bring these spirits to the trial whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone forth into the world. 2By this ye know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesseth that Jesus the Messiah is come in the flesh, is from God. 3And every spirit who confesseth not that Jesus the Messiah is come into the world, is not from God: and this is that spirit of antichrist which ye have heard that it is coming, and now is already in the world. 4Ye are of God, my dear children, and have overcome them; because he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world. 5They are of the world, therefore speak they as of the world, and the world heareth them. 6We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of delusion.

Love Comes from God

7Beloved, let us love one another; because love is from God, and every one who loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8He that loveth not, never knew God; for God is love. 9By this was the love of God manifested to us, that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might have life by him. 10Herein is love, not that we have loved God, but that he hath loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiatory sacrifice for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13By this we know that we abide in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his own Spirit. 14And we have seen and bear testimony, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

15Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him, and he in God. 16And we have known and believed the love which God hath towards us. God is love; and he that abideth in love, abideth in God, and God in him. 17By this is his love towards us perfected, that we might have confidence at the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world. 18Fear is not in this love; but the perfect love casteth out fear: for fear hath anguish. He that is afraid is not made perfect in love. 19We love him, because he first loved us. 20If any person say, I love God, yet hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he who loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love the God whom he hath not seen? 21So this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love also his brother.