Testing the Spirits

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

²By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

³and every spirit that does not confess Jesusis not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time.

⁴You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

⁵They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them.

⁶We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spiritof truth and the spirit of deception.

Love Comes from God

⁷Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

⁸Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

⁹This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and onlySon into the world, so that we might live through Him.

¹⁰And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrificefor our sins.

¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

¹²No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us.

¹³By this we know that we remain 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 confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

¹⁶And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

¹⁷In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him.

¹⁸There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love.

¹⁹We lovebecause He first loved us.

²⁰If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

²¹And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.

Imitators of God

¹Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children,

²and walk in love, just as Christ loved usand gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.

³But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.

⁴Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving.

⁵For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

⁷Therefore do not be partakers with them.

Children of Light

⁸For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,

⁹for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.

¹⁰Test and prove what pleases the Lord.

¹¹Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

¹²For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

¹³But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,for everything that is illuminated becomes a light itself.

¹⁴So it is said:“Wake up, O sleeper,rise up from the dead,and Christ will shine on you.”

¹⁵Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

¹⁶redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

¹⁸Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

¹⁹Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,

²⁰always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wives and Husbands

²¹Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

²²Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

²³For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior.

²⁴Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her

²⁶to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,

²⁷and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.

²⁸In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

²⁹Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.

³⁰For we are members of His body.

³¹“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

³²This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.

³³Nevertheless, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Put On the New Self

¹Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

²Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

³For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

⁴When Christ, who is yourlife, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

⁵Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.

⁶Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

⁷When you lived among them, you also used to walk in these ways.

⁸But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

⁹Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices,

¹⁰and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

¹¹Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.

¹²Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

¹³Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.

¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful.

¹⁶Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Christian Households

¹⁸Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

¹⁹Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

²⁰Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.

²¹Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become discouraged.

Serving with Honor

²²Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord.

²³Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men,

²⁴because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

²⁵Whoever does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.

The Boldness of the Righteous

¹The wicked flee when no one pursues,but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

²A land in rebellion has many rulers,but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.

³A destitute leader who oppresses the pooris like a driving rain that leaves no food.

⁴Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,but those who keep the law resist them.

⁵Evil men do not understand justice,but those who seek the LORD comprehend fully.

⁶Better a poor man who walks with integritythan a rich man whose ways are perverse.

⁷A discerning son keeps the law,but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.

⁸He who increases his wealth by interest and usurylays it up for one who is kind to the poor.

⁹Whoever turns his ear away from hearing the law,even his prayer is detestable.

¹⁰He who leads the upright along the path of evil will fall into his own pit,but the blameless will inherit what is good.

¹¹A rich man is wise in his own eyes,but a poor man with discernment sees through him.

¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.

¹³He who conceals his sins will not prosper,but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.

¹⁴Blessed is the man who is always reverent,but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

¹⁵Like a roaring lion or a charging bearis a wicked ruler over a helpless people.

¹⁶A leader who lacks judgment is also a great oppressor,but he who hates dishonest profit will prolong his days.

¹⁷A man burdened by bloodguilt will flee into the Pit;let no one support him.

¹⁸He who walks with integrity will be kept safe,but whoever is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.

¹⁹The one who works his land will have plenty of food,but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

²⁰A faithful man will abound with blessings,but one eager to be rich will not go unpunished.

²¹To show partiality is not good,yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

²²A stingy manhastens after wealthand does not know that poverty awaits him.

²³He who rebukes a man will later find more favorthan one who flatters with his tongue.

²⁴He who robs his father or mother, saying, “It is not wrong,”is a companion to the man who destroys.

²⁵A greedy man stirs up strife,but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.

²⁶He who trusts in himself is a fool,but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.

²⁷Whoever gives to the poor will not be in need,but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.

²⁸When the wicked come to power, people hide themselves;but when they perish, the righteous flourish.