\v 1 All those who believe that Jesus is the Christ are children of God, born from God. And whoever loves the Father certainly also loves the Father's children, our fellow believers.
\v 4 All of us whom God has caused to become his children have been able to refuse to do what unbelievers want us to do; we are stronger than everything that is against God. We are able to refuse to do wrong because we trust in Christ.
\v 6 Think about Jesus Christ. He is the one who came to earth from God. God showed that he had truly sent Jesus when John baptized Jesus in water, but also when Jesus' blood flowed from his body when he died. And God's Spirit declares truthfully that Jesus Christ came from God.
\v 8 God's Spirit, the water when John baptized Jesus, and Jesus' blood that flowed from his body when he died on the cross. These three things all tell us the same thing, that Jesus came from God.
\v 9 We usually believe what other people tell us. But we can certainly trust much more in what God says. And he has certainly testified about his Son.
\v 10 Those who trust in the Son of God know within their inner beings what is true about him. But those who do not believe what God says call him a liar, because they have refused to believe what God has testified about his Son.
\v 16 Those who see one of their fellow believers sinning in a way that does not result in eternal separation from God should ask God to help that fellow believer; and as a result God will help that fellow believer and enable him or her to live eternally. But some people sin in a manner that causes them to be separated from God eternally. I am not saying that you should ask God to help people who sin like that.
\v 18 We know that if a person is a child of God, he does not keep sinning again and again. Instead, the Son of God protects him so that Satan, the evil one, does not harm him.
\v 20 We also know that the Son of God has come among us and has enabled us to understand the truth; we are joined to him who is true, God's Son Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is truly God, and he is the one who enables us to have eternal life.