4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Must-Read Christian Books
Mere Christianity
Lewis lays out the core beliefs of the Christian faith with clarity, logic, and imagination, rooted in Scripture.
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Desiring God
Piper unpacks "Christian Hedonism": that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him, grounded in Scripture.
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The Knowledge of the Holy
Short, powerful meditations on the attributes of God that lift the reader into a bigger, more biblical view of who He is.
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A Call to Spiritual Reformation
Walks through Paul's prayers to teach believers how to pray biblically and God-centeredly.
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Scripture Alone
Explains and defends the authority and sufficiency of Scripture over all human traditions.
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Don't Waste Your Life
A passionate plea to live for Christ's glory rather than trivial pursuits.
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God's Big Picture
Traces the storyline of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in a clear, Christ-centered way.
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Just Do Something
A wise, biblical approach to knowing God's will without paralysis or mysticism.
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The Bruised Reed
A tender Puritan work on Christ's gentleness toward weak and struggling believers.
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The Bondage of the Will
Luther's classic defense of the Bible's teaching on human sin and God's sovereign grace.
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The Heidelberg Catechism
A beloved Reformation catechism that teaches comfort in Christ through a Q&A format.
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Preaching and Preachers
Classic lectures on the nature and power of biblical preaching.
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Christ-Centered Worship
Traces historic worship patterns and shows how to shape Christ-focused services today.
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Delighting in the Trinity
A joyful, readable introduction to the triune God and why His tri-unity is good news.
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The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment
Teaches believers how to distinguish truth from error using Scripture.
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The Hiding Place
The story of Corrie ten Boom's faith and forgiveness in the midst of Nazi persecution.
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