The Message Bible MSG
New International Version NIV
1 Every person who believes that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah, is God-begotten. If we love the One who conceives the child, we'll surely love the child who was conceived.
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Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.
2 The reality test on whether or not we love God's children is this: Do we love God? Do we keep his commands?
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This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.
3 The proof that we love God comes when we keep his commandments and they are not at all troublesome.
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In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
4 Every God-begotten person conquers the world's ways. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith.
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for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
5 The person who wins out over the world's ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God.
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Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
6 Jesus - the Divine Christ! He experienced a life-giving birth and a death-killing death. Not only birth from the womb, but baptismal birth of his ministry and sacrificial death. And all the while the Spirit is confirming the truth, the reality of God's presence at Jesus' baptism and crucifixion, bringing those occasions alive for us.[(s15.7)] A triple testimony:
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This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
8 the Spirit, the Baptism, the Crucifixion. And the three in perfect agreement.
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the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
9 If we take human testimony at face value, how much more should we be reassured when God gives testimony as he does here, testifying concerning his Son.
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We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.
10 Whoever believes in the Son of God inwardly confirms God's testimony. Whoever refuses to believe in effect calls God a liar, refusing to believe God's own testimony regarding his Son.
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Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.
11 This is the testimony in essence: God gave us eternal life; the life is in his Son.
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And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 So, whoever has the Son, has life; whoever rejects the Son, rejects life.
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Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God's Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion.
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I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.