But the one who hates his fellow Christian<n id="1" /> is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.<n id="2" />p>

By this<n id="1" /> you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses<n id="2" /> Jesus as the Christ<n id="3" /> who has come in the flesh is from God,

<t /><p class="bodytext">Dear friends, let us love one another, because<n id="1" /> love is from God, and everyone who loves<n id="2" /> has been fathered<n id="3" /> by God and knows God.

(My little children,<n id="1" /> I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.<n id="2" />) But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate<n id="3" /> with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One,<n id="4" />

By this<n id="1" /> the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: Everyone who does not practice righteousness &#8211; the one who does not love his fellow Christian<n id="2" /> &#8211; is not of God.p>

but<n id="1" /> every spirit that does not confess<n id="2" /> Jesus<n id="3" /> is not from God, and this is the spirit<n id="4" /> of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now is already in the world.p>

The one who says he resides<n id="1" /> in God<n id="2" /> ought himself to walk<n id="3" /> just as Jesus<n id="4" /> walked.p>

<p class="bodytext">Nevertheless you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.<n id="1" />

Everyone who resides<n id="1" /> in him does not sin;<n id="2" /> everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him.

Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness<n id="1" /> is righteous, just as Jesus<n id="2" /> is righteous.

I have written to you, children, that<n id="1" /> you have known the Father.<n id="2" /> I have written to you, fathers, that<n id="3" /> you have known him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young people, that<n id="4" /> you are strong, and the word of God resides in you, and you have conquered the evil one.p>

We know that<n id="1" /> we have crossed over<n id="2" /> from death to life<n id="3" /> because<n id="4" /> we love our fellow Christians.<n id="5" /> The one who does not love remains in death.<n id="6" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Dear friends, do not believe every spirit,<n id="1" /> but test<n id="2" /> the spirits<n id="3" /> to determine<n id="4" /> if they are from God, because many false prophets<n id="5" /> have gone out into the world.

In this<n id="1" /> is love: not that<n id="2" /> we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice<n id="3" /> for our sins.p>

What we have seen and heard we announce<n id="1" /> to you too, so that<n id="2" /> you may have fellowship<n id="3" /> with us (and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ).

I am writing to you, fathers, that<n id="1" /> you have known him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, that<n id="2" /> you have conquered the evil one.<n id="3" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists<n id="1" /> have appeared. We know from this that it is the last hour.

<p class="bodytext">(See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that<n id="1" /> we should be called God&#8217;s children &#8211; and indeed<n id="2" /> we are!<n id="3" /> For this reason<n id="4" /> the world does not know us: because it did not know him.<n id="5" />

And the person who keeps his commandments resides<n id="1" /> in God,<n id="2" /> and God<n id="3" /> in him. Now by this<n id="4" /> we know that God<n id="5" /> resides in us: by the Spirit he has given us.p>

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us insight to know<n id="1" /> him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one<n id="2" /> is the true God and eternal life.