(1 John) First Letter from He Shows Goodwill 4

TESTING THE SPIRITS OF THE PROPHETS

1My much-loved friends, do not trust every spirit, but test the spirits of the prophets to see whether Creator sent them, for there are many false prophets who have gone out into the world.

2This is how to know whether a spirit comes from Creator: Every spirit that says Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One came to us as a human being is from the Great Spirit.

3Every spirit that does not speak of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) in this manner is not from the Great Spirit. This is the spirit of the false chosen one, the one you have heard was coming and who is now already in the world.

4Much-loved children, you have been born of Creator and have won the victory over these false prophets . For the Spirit in you is much greater than the spirit in the world.[#4:4 Lit. one]

5These false prophets are of this world, so they speak the way the world speaks, and the world listens.

6We are of the Great Spirit, and those who know the Great Spirit listen to us. The ones who are not of the Great Spirit do not listen to us. This is how we can tell the Spirit that is true from the spirit that is false.

MORE ABOUT LOVE

7My much-loved friends, love each other, for love comes from the Great Spirit. All who love have been born of him and know him.

8Those who do not love do not know him, for the Great Spirit is love.

9Creator showed his love for us by sending the only Son who fully represents him into this world, so that we could live through him.

10This is love, not that we loved Creator, but that he loved us and proved his love by sending his Son to take on himself the burden of our broken ways.

11My much-loved friends, if Creator loved us like that, then we should also love each other.

12No one has ever seen the Great Spirit, but as long as we love each other, he remains in us, and his love is made complete in us.

13We know that we live in him and he lives in us because Creator has shared his Spirit with us.

14We have seen and now tell you the truth about what our Father the Great Spirit has done. He sent his Son to be the Sacred Deliverer of the world.

15Those who tell others that Creator Sets Free (Jesus) is the Son of the Great Spirit are the ones Creator lives in, and they live in him.

THE GREAT SPIRIT IS LOVE

16We have come to know and trust the love Creator has for us. The Great Spirit is love. He remains in those who love and keep on loving, and they remain in him.

17Love is made complete in us so that we will stand without fear on the day Creator decides who has done right or wrong. For in this world, when we love as he loves , we are just like him.

18Where love is there can be no fear, for mature love drives all fear away. Fear comes from the thought of punishment. So love has not yet matured in those who continue to be afraid.

19We love because he first loved us.

20If we say that we love the Great Spirit but hate others, then we are speaking with a forked tongue. If we do not love someone we can see, then how can we love a Creator we cannot see?

21And from him we have been given this instruction: the ones who love the Great Spirit must also love the members of his family.

Copyright ©2023 InterVarsity Press
Published by: Intervarsity Press