1 John 5 - Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

Faith in the Incarnate Son of God

1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.

 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 

3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 

5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

6 This 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. 

7 For there are three that testify: 

8 the[a] Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 

9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 

10 Whoever 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. 

11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 

12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Concluding Affirmations

13 I 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. 

14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 

15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

16 If 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.

 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

18 We 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. 

19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 

20 We 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.

21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

Footnotes:

1. 1 John 5:8 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)

1 John 5 New International Version (NIV)

Faith in the Incarnate Son of God

If someone loves the father, who do they also love? (verse 1)

How do we know that we love the children of God? (verse 2)

What is love for God? (verse 3)

Are God's commands burdensome? (verse 3)

Who has overcome the world? (verse 4-5)

How did Jesus Christ come? (verse 6)

Who testify and are in agreement that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? (verse 4-8)

Why is God's testimony greater? (verse 9)

Who accepts God's testimony? (verse 10)

What happens if someone doesn't believe God's testimony about his Son? (verse 10)

What is the testimony? (verse 11)

Where is eternal life? (verse 11)

Who has life? (verse 12)

Who does not have life? (verse 12)

Concluding Affirmations

Why are these things being written? (verse 13)

If we ask anything according to God's will, does he hear us? (verse 14)

If God hears us, do we have what we asked of him? (verse 15)

What should we pray for if we see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death? (verse 16)

Is all wrongdoing sin? (verse 17)

Is there sin that does not lead to death? (verse 17)

Does anyone born of God continue to sin? (verse 18)

What is under the control of the evil one? (verse 19)

Why has the Son of God come and given us understanding? (verse 20)

How are we in him who is true? (verse 20)

What are we to keep ourselves from? (verse 21)

Thoughts

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. - verse 1

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  - verse 11