13This is how we know that we...

13This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.

14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.

16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. - P48

19We love because he first loved us. - P49

21
And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. - P49

Believers know they live in God because He has given them His Spirit. Thosewho have seen Jesus testify that the Father indeed sent His Son to be theSavior of the world. If anyone acknowledges Jesus, God lives in them. God islove. Those who claim to love God yet hate a brother or sister are liars. - P49

John and the earliest Christians have seen Jesus with their own eyes and can testify that God truly sent His Son as the Savior of the world. Those who acknowledge Him are those who abide in God, and God’s love abides in them. - P50

Those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God understand the immense love that God has for them. When people embrace, embody, and respond in love, they abide in God and God abides in them because God Himself is love. God sending His Son was an incredible act of love, and when we express love as God loved us, we connect deeply with God and with His people. - P50

Love is made complete among believers when they are like Jesus. Love isalso what gives us confidence on the day of judgment. God‘s love drives outour fear, and because we are loved by Him, we love others. When Christiansembrace the perfect love of God, any fear of divine punishment is cast outbecause we are more focused on loving God than on dreading any sort ofpunishment from Him.  - P50

The love we receive from God is the love we giveto others. We are capable of love because we first received the love God hasfor Because of this love, we can confront, discipline, and correct as wellas embrace, bless, and extend grace to our brothers and sisters. - P50

Dear Lord, I do not always find it easy to love my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. When I struggle to love them, remind me to spend more time in Your love so that I might see others as You see them and love them as You love them. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P51

1Dear friends, do not believe...

1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
- P44

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. - P45

9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

- P45

John instructs believers to test the spirits to see whether they are from God. This is necessary because many false prophets have gone out into the world. God’s Spirit and the spirit of the world are distinct: Those who know Jesus Christ acknowledge God’s truth, but false teachings come from worldly or demonic sources. - P46

Like the believers in John’s time, Christians today are faced with messages that claim to be spiritual or godly but contradict Scripture. We encounter these messages on social media, in books, sermons, or even in well-meaning advice. We must rely on the Spirit’s guidance and the testimony of Scripture to discern truth from deception. - P46

Let us prayerfully evaluate teachings, remain rooted in God’s Word, and ensure our faith aligns with Christ’s teachings, not worldly influences. - P46

Dear heavenly Father, help me recognize truth from deception in the messages I come across each day. Fill me with Your love so I may love others selflessly, reflecting Your presence. - P47

May my heart mirror Your grace, bringing unity, hope, and Your light to the world. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P47

The writer warns believers to test the spirits because of the many false pro-phets in the world. Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has comein the flesh is from God. God‘s children overcome the world because of theone who is in them. God showed His love by sending His Son into the world,
and believers ought to love one another deeply, as God loved them. - P45

John teaches that love originates from God. God exemplified what lovelooks like by sending His Son into the world to become the sacrifice hethrough which our sins are forgiven. And because God first loved us, weare now called to love one another. Authentic Christian faith is expressedthrough selfless, sacrificial love, reflecting God‘s presence in our lives.  - P46

Wehave many opportunities to live out this truth in a world often markedby division, selfishness, and indifference, where loving others—especiallythose who are difficult to love-feels countercultural. Applying this passagemeans intentionally practicing love in daily life: forgiving, serving, andcaring without expectation of return. By doing so, we not only obey God‘scommand but also reveal His character to others. - P46

16This is how we know what lo...

16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

17If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?

18Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth

- P40

23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

24The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. - P41

The apostle John contrasts the world‘s hatred with the believer‘s call to love.
The example of Christ shows that true love is sacrificial, intentional, and ac-tive. Genuine Christian love is not proven by empty words but by tangibleaction, even to the point of laying down one‘s life. Many believers strugglewith the temptation to reduce love to polite speech, digital "likes," or goodintentions without sacrifice. In a culture of convenience, John‘s challengeto the church is all the more relevant.  - P42

Our faith is evidenced by the kindof love Jesus showed: a love that meets needs, gives generously, and servessacrificially. Our faith is proven real through love in action. - P42

Dear heavenly Father, You are the God of love. Help me love You and my brothers and sisters sincerely with actions, not just with words or feelings. Make me more attentive to Your Spirit’s testimony that I belong to You. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P43

John continues to teach believers that they can find assurance before Godthrough love in action, obedience to His Word, and the Spirit‘s abidingpresence. Confidence before God does not rest in our personal feelings orperformance but in living out a faith rooted in Jesus Christ through loveand obedience. Many Christians wrestle with guilt, doubt, or self-condem-nation, especially when they feel their faith is weak.  - P42

In a performance-driv-en culture, assurance is often tied to personal success of emotions. Johnreminds us that even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than ourhearts. We can rest in who God is for us, obey His command to believe inJesus, and to love one another. Let us trust His Spirit‘s witness as assuranceof our abiding in Christ. - P42

28And now, dear children, con...

28And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

29If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

- P36

The apostle John instructs his readers to continue in Christ so that they willbe confident when He returns. He invites them to consider the great loveGod lavishes on believers by calling them His children. In view of this love,
believers are called to do what is right and to love one another.  - P38

Those whoare truly God‘s children will reflect their Father‘s character. Christians todayface countless influences that normalize all kinds of sin or wrongly redefinelove. This can make it more difficult to practice God‘s commands and eas-ier to give in to sin. Just as John warned of those who practice lawlessnesswhile claiming to follow Christ, we too must discern between the ways ofthe world and the ways of God.  - P38

Let us pursue righteousness by abiding inthe Son of God who came to destroy Satan‘s power over us. In doing so, wereveal our identity as God‘s children. - P38

Dear Jesus, thank You for bringing us close to the Father. Help us keep ourhope in You and strengthen us to remain faithful as we wait for the daywhen we will see You and become like You. In Your name, amen. - P39

Our relationship with God is ...

Our relationship with God is like a marriage, where love is exclusive between husband and wife. We express our love for God through our faithfulness to Him and by keeping our hearts "full" of Him. - P32

12I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.

13I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. - P30

l
20But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

- P31

26I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. - P31

As the gospel spreads and new communities of believers emerge across theRoman Empire, false teachings also crop up, threatening to lead believersastray. So, John emphasizes the importance of grounding our faith in truth.
Genuine faith entails belief in what is true. The person that denies what istrue-that Jesus is the Messiah-is anti or against Christ.  - P32

Christians mustlearn to discern truth from false teaching. This is why it is important toread and study the Bible to understand what God is truly like.  - P32

If we do notknow the truth, we will easily fall for ideas and teachings that sound truebut contradict God‘s Word. - P32

Heavenly Father, You tell us in Your Word that we cannot love both You and the world. I confess that too often my heart strays from You after temporary pleasures. Transform my desires and lead me by Your truth so that I may not fall for alluring untruths. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P32

God converses with us primarily through His words in Scripture.
We can also use His words to respond to Him.
Use the following guide to pray through this week‘s memory verse.
God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. - 1 John 1:5b - P33