I John - Ferrar Fenton Bible Translation page 1047

3--:6 I. IOHN. :6

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in him. Hrs love is known to us from the fact that Ha laid down His own life for our sakes; so we ought also to lay down our lives for the sake of our brothers. But whoever possesses the means of livelihood in this world, and sees his brother in want, yet locks up his pity from him, how can the love of God dwell in him ? Children, let us not love in pretence, nor with the tongue; but in act and truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and may tranquillize our heart in His presence; and our mind can discover that God is greater than our heart; when all will be clear. Friends, even if our heart should not discover it, we have free approach to God; and what we may ask we shall receive from Him, when we regard His com- mands, and practise those virtues in His sight. This also is His command, that we should believe in the Name of His Son, jesus Christ, and love one another as earnestly as He gave us an instruction. And the observer of His commands remains in Him, and Hein him. And by this we recognise that He dwells in us, by the Spirit with which He has endowed us. Friends, do not believe every thinker;

but test the teachings, whether they emanate from God : because many false teachers have gone out into the world. By this you can recognise the teacher from God: every teacher ac- knowledging that jesus Christ came bodily is from God; and every teacher who does not acknowledge ]csus is not from God. This, then, is the test of the antagonist of Christ, whose coming you have heard of ; and now he is already in the world. You, children, are from God, and have de- feated them ; because the One Who is with you is mightier than the one who is in the world. They belong to the world: their

conversation is therefore worldly, and the world listens to them. We are from God: whoever recognises God, listens to us ; whoever docs not proceed from God, regards us not. By this we can discern the spirit of Truth. as well as the spirit of Error. Let us love one another, friends,

because love is from God ; and every one who loves is born from God, and knows God. He who does not love, does not know God; for Gov is nov:. The loveof God was displayed in our own case, when God sent His only-begotten Son to the world, so that we might live by means of Him. Here was the love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His own Son as a reconciliation for our sins. Friends, if God loved us so much, we ought also to love one another. No one has at any time seen God. lf we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we recognise that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He has endowed us with His own Spirit. And we have also seen, and are giving evidence, that the Father has sent the Son. a Saviour of the world. Whoever shall acknowledge that jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God. And we realise and rely upon the love which God has for us. GOD is Lovn; and whoever cong

tinues in love, dwells in God, and God in him. His love with us will be perfected when we have free access in the Day of ]udgment; because as He Himself is, we also shall be, in that world. There is no fear in love. But perfect love expels fear, because fear is torture; and whoever is in fear has not reached the perfection of love We love, because He first loved _l love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar; because whoever does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God Whom he has not seen. This command, moreover, we have received from Him-—that the lover of God should also love his own brother. Every one who believes that jesus

is the Messiah is born from God; and every one loving the Father should love His offspring. We know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and practise His commands. For this is the love of God, that we

should keep His commands; and His commands are not burdensome. Be- cause every one born from God con· quers the world ; and this is the con- quest which has conquered the world our faith. Whois the conqueror of the world, if not the believer thatjesus is the Son of God? That is jesus the Messiah, Who

came through water and blood: not in the water only, but in the Water, and in the Blood; and the Spirit is the Witness that Spirit Who is IO47 XO I1 I2 16 20 21