Test the Spirits
BELOVED, do not believe every spirit; rather, test the genuineness of the spirits, whether they are of God: because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 By this, you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that declares that Jesus Christ came in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that does not declare Jesus Christ came in the flesh, is not of God: and this is the spirit of antichrist; whereof, you have heard that it should come; and now is already in the world.
4 ¶ Children, you are of God and have conquered them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5 They are of the world, therefore of the world they speak: and the world listens to them.
6 We are of God; he that knows God, listens to us; he that is not of God, does not listen to us. By this, we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.
God is Love
7 ¶ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God.
8 He that does not love, does not know God; for God is love.
9 In this, the love of God was made known to us: that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 In this is love, not that we loved God; rather, that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the atonement for our sins.
As God Loved us, Love One Another
11 ¶ Beloved, if God loves us in this way; we are obligated to love one another also.
12 No man has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 ¶ By this, we know that we abide in him, and he in us: because he has given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen, and bear witness, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God; God abides in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known, and believed the love that God has for us. God is love; and he that abides in love, abides in God, and God in him.
Perfect Love Casts out Fear
17 ¶ By this, love is perfected among us: that we may have courage in the day of judgment: because, just as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; rather, perfect love casts out fear: because, fear has to do with punishment; And he that fears, is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 ¶ If a man say: I love God; but hates his brother, he is a liar; for he that does not love his brother, whom he has seen; how can he love God, whom he has not seen?
21 And this commandment we have from him: That, he who loves God, love his brother also.