The false teachers said that they had seen God. They said that they had special knowledge about God. This cannot be true, because no person has ever seen God. What they said was false.

John tells us to love those people that we can see. We do not see God with our eyes. But we do know him when we love each other. And, as we love each other, we love God. Our love is the evidence that God lives in us.

God does not live in us because we love each other. Rather we love each other because God lives in us. But we do know him when we love each other.

When we love like this, God’s love has achieved its purpose in us. He has created love in us that is like his love. The love that God has produced in us is good and complete. We all share the same love with God and with each other.

Verse 13

We know that God lives in us

We cannot see God but we do know him. We know that we remain in him. We know that he lives in us. We can know this because God has given his Spirit to us.

Verse 14

We know that God sent Jesus to rescue us

Nobody has seen God. But we have seen that the *Father sent Jesus. John and his friends were there when Jesus lived among them. They saw the Christ with their own eyes. They knew that he was the Son of God. They knew that the *Father had sent him. All who believe can know this truth. We do not see it with our eyes. But we know it by *faith. We know that the *Father sent his Son Jesus to this world.

The reason that God sent Jesus was to save people from *sin and death. By Jesus, people can be free and receive a new life with God.

All the people of the world have *sinned. Their *sins have separated them all from God. Jesus Christ died for the *sins of all people. What he has done is sufficient to *save each one of them. But to benefit from what Jesus has done we must accept it. We must trust in him.

Verse 15

Real Christians believe that Jesus is God’s son

God lives in those who believe. They agree that Jesus is the Son of God. They believe the truth that God sent Jesus. Jesus came to *save the people of the world. If they believe in the *Lord Jesus, they will receive a new life. This life is in God.

Verse 16

We can depend on God’s love

Christians can be sure that the love of God is real. They can depend on it. They know that God loves them. His love can never fail. God loves all people but not just in general. God loves each person and each one is precious to him.

The writer says again that God is love (1 John 4:8). God’s nature is to love and to act in love. His love comes from his own character. The cause of his love is not the person whom he loves. He loves because he is love.

A person who has this love lives in God. And God lives in him. The love that God gives will reach out to other people.

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