Chapter 5
Believe in the Son of God
Faith Conquers the World
1 Everyone who believes
that Jesus is the Christ
is born of God,
and everyone who loves the parent
loves the one begotten of him as well.
2 This is how we know
that we love the children of God:
by loving God and obeying his commandments.
3 For the love of God is this:
that we keep his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
4 for everyone born of God
conquers the world.
And the victory that conquers the world
is our faith.
5 Who indeed conquers the world
except the one who believes
that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is the one
who came by water and blood,
Jesus Christ—
not by water alone,
but by water and blood.
And to this the Spirit bears witness,
for the Spirit is truth.
7 Thus, there are three witnesses,
8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood,
and these three are as one.
9 If we accept human testimony,
the testimony of God is greater.
For it is the testimony of God,
the testimony that he has given about his Son.
10 Whoever believes in the Son of God
has this testimony in himself,
but those who do not believe in God
have made him out to be a liar
by refusing to believe the testimony
that God has given about his Son.
11 And this is the testimony:
God gave us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son.
12 Whoever possesses the Son
possesses life;
whoever does not possess the Son of God
does not possess life.
Epilogue
So That You May Know
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.
Prayer for Sinners
14 And thus we can have confidence in him
that if we ask anything
that is in accordance with his will,
he hears us.
15 And if we know that he hears us
in regard to whatever we ask him,
we may be sure
that all we ask of him will be ours.
16 If anyone sees a brother commit a sin
that does not lead to death,
he should intercede for him,
and God will grant him life—
provided that the sin is not deadly.
There is a sin that leads to death,
and I do not say
that you should pray about it.
17 All wrongdoing is sinful,
but not all sins are deadly.
The Great Certitudes
18 We know that one born of God does not continue to sin,
because he who is born of God protects him,
and the evil one has no power over him.
19 We know
that we are from God
and that the entire world
lies under the power of the evil one.
20 We also know
that the Son of God has come
and given us understanding
so that we can know the one who is true.
And we are in the one who is true,
since we are in his Son Jesus Christ.
He is the true God and eternal life.
21 Dear children,
keep away from idols.
Footnotes
- 1 John 5:1
- 1 John 5:6
- 1 John 5:7
- 1 John 5:8
- 1 John 5:13
- 1 John 5:13
- 1 John 5:14
- 1 John 5:16
- 1 John 5:18
