4:7. 4. Dear brothers, let us keep loving each other, because love is from God, and whoever keeps loving has been begotten by God and is becoming ac- quainted with God. He who does not keep loving never became acquainted with God. For God is love. In this was the love of God made clear in us, because God has sent his only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the means of appeasing him so as to do away with our sins. Dear brothers, if God loved us in such a way as this, we also ought to keep loving each other. As for God, no one has ever yet looked at him. But if we keep loving each other, God continues in us and his love is perfected in us. In this way we get to know that we are continuing in him and he in us, because he has given us some of his spirit. And we have looked at the Son and bear witness to the fact that the Father has sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whoever shall confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, God continues in him and he in God. And we have come to know, and have believed, the love which God has in us. God is love, and he who continues in love continues in God and God continues in him. In this 4: 17. There is no way is love made perfect with us, so that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because just as he is so also are we in this world. fear in love, but rather does perfect love out fear, because fear has punishment. keeps fearing is not made perfect in keep casting But he who love. We keep loving because he first loved us. If any one says: "I keep loving God," and hates his brother, he is a liar. For if he does not keep loving his brother whom he has seen he cannot keep loving God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him, so that he who keeps loving God might love his brother also. 5. Whoever keeps believing that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten by God, and whoever keeps loving him who begot keeps loving him who has been begotten by him. In this way we keep getting to know that we are in love with the children of God, that is, when we keep loving God and are constantly keeping his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we constantly keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous. For whatever has been begotten by God keeps overcoming the world. And this is the victory which has overcome the world, that is, our 5: 5. faith. Yes, who is he who keeps overcoming the world, if not he who keeps believing that Jesus is the Son of God? 6. This is he who came through water and blood, that is, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And it is the Spirit who is bearing witness, because the Spirit is the Truth. For those who are bearing witness are three, the Spirit and the water and the blood, and the three are one. If we keep receiving the witness of men the witness of God is greater. For the witness of God is this, that he has borne witness about his Son. He who keeps believing in the Son of God keeps having the witness in himself. He who does not keep believing God, has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness which God has borne about his Son. And the witness is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has the life. He who does not have the Son does not have the life. I have written these things to you so that you might know you have eternal life, that is, to you who keep believing in the name of the Son of God. 5: 14. 7. And the boldness which we have towards him is this, that if we keep asking anything according to his will, he keeps listening to us. And if we know he is listening to us, whatever we are asking, we know we have the petitions which we have asked from him. If any one sees his brother committing a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask and God will give him life for those who are committing Isin which does not lead to death. There is sin which leads to death. Not about that am I saying he should pray. All want of goodness is sin, and there is sin which does not lead to death. CONCLUSION. We know that no one who has been begotten by God keeps committing sin, but he who was begotten by God keeps him; and the wicked one does not get a permanent hold of him. We know we are of God and the whole world is lying in the evil one. And we know the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may become acquainted with him who is true. And we are in him who is true, that is, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children keep yourselves on your guard against idols. |