Now ¹  by this we know that we have come to know God: ²  if we keep his commandments.

By this ¹  you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses ²  Jesus as the Christ ³  who has come in the flesh is from God,

I am writing to you, fathers, that ¹  you have known him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, that ²  you have conquered the evil one. ³ 

(See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that ¹  we should be called God’s children – and indeed ²  we are! ³  For this reason ⁴  the world does not know us: because it did not know him. ⁵ 

If you know that he is righteous, you also know ¹  that everyone who practices righteousness has been fathered ²  by him.

And by this ¹  we will know that we are of the truth and will convince ²  our conscience ³  in his presence, ⁴ 

The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ¹ 

The one who says “I have come to know God” ¹  and yet does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in such a person.

But whoever obeys his ¹  word, truly in this person ²  the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that we are in him.

Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists ¹  have appeared. We know from this that it is the last hour.

Everyone who resides ¹  in him does not sin; ²  everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him.

We have come to know love by this: ¹  that Jesus ²  laid down ³  his life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians.

that ¹  if our conscience condemns ²  us, that ³  God is greater than our conscience and knows all things.

By this ¹  we know that we reside in God ²  and he in us: in that he has given us of his Spirit. ³ 

By this ¹  we know that we love the children of God: whenever we love God and obey his commandments.

We are from God; the person who knows God listens to us, but ¹  whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this ²  we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit. ³ 

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

And the person who keeps his commandments resides ¹  in God, ²  and God ³  in him. Now by this ⁴  we know that God ⁵  resides in us: by the Spirit he has given us.

Dear friends, let us love one another, because ¹  love is from God, and everyone who loves ²  has been fathered ³  by God and knows God.

And we have come to know and to believe ¹  the love that God has in us. ²  God is love, and the one who resides ³  in love resides in God, and God resides in him.