Kujihadhari Na Maadui Wa Kristo

Wapendwa, msiamini kila roho bali zipimeni roho zote kwa makini muone kama zinatoka kwa Mungu. Kwa maana manabii wengi wa uongo wametokea duniani. Na hivi ndivyo mtakavyomtambua Roho wa Mungu: kila roho inayokiri kuwa Yesu Kristo alikuja kama mwana damu, hiyo inatoka kwa Mungu. Lakini roho yo yote ambayo haim kiri Kristo, si ya Mungu. Hii ndio roho ya mpinga-Kristo, ambayo mmekwisha kusikia kwamba inakuja, na sasa tayari iko duniani.

Lakini ninyi watoto wapendwa, ni wa Mungu, nanyi mmekwisha kuwashinda; kwa maana yeye aliye ndani yenu ni mkuu kuliko yule aliyeko duniani. Wao ni wa ulimwengu, kwa hiyo wanayoyasema ni ya ulimwengu na watu wa dunia huwasikiliza. Sisi ni wa Mungu. Anayemjua Mungu hutusikiliza, lakini asiye wa Mungu hatusikilizi. Na hivi ndivyo tunaweza kutambua kati ya Roho wa kweli na roho wa uongo.

Mungu Ni Upendo

Wapendwa, tupendane, kwa sababu upendo hutoka kwa Mungu. Mtu mwenye upendo amezaliwa na Mungu na anamjua Mungu. Mtu asiye na upendo hamjui Mungu; kwa maana Mungu ni upendo. Na hivi ndivyo Mungu alivyoonyesha upendo wake kwetu: alimtuma Mwana wake wa pekee ulimwenguni ili kwa ajili yake sisi tupate kwa kupitia kwake. 10 Na huu ndio upendo: si kwamba sisi tulimpenda Mungu, bali kwamba yeye alitupenda sisi hata akamtuma Mwanae awe sadaka ya kulipia dhambi zetu. 11 Wapendwa, kwa kuwa Mungu ali tupenda kiasi hicho, sisi pia tunapaswa kupendana. 12 Hakuna mtu aliyepata kumwona Mungu; lakini tukipendana, Mungu anaishi ndani yetu, na upendo wake unakamilika ndani yetu.

13 Tunajua ya kwamba tunaishi ndani yake na yeye anaishi ndani yetu kwa sababu ametupatia Roho wake. 14 Na sisi tumeona na kushuhudia kwamba Baba amemtuma Mwanae awe mwokozi wa ulim wengu. 15 Kila mtu anayekiri kuwa Yesu ni Mwana wa Mungu, Mungu hukaa ndani yake, na yeye hukaa ndani ya Mungu. 16 Kwa hiyo tunajua na kutegemea upendo alio nao Mungu kwetu sisi. Mungu ni upendo, na mtu mwenye upendo hukaa ndani ya Mungu na Mungu hukaa ndani yake. 17 Upendo unakamilishwa ndani yetu ili tuwe na uja siri siku ile ya hukumu; kwa maana hata katika ulimwengu huu sisi tunaishi kama yeye. 18 Katika upendo hakuna woga; upendo ulioka milika hufukuza woga wote, kwa sababu woga hutokana na adhabu. Mtu mwenye woga hajakamilishwa katika upendo. 19 Tunapenda kwa sababu yeye alitupenda kwanza. 20 Mtu akisema, “Nampenda Mungu,” na huku anamchukia ndugu yake, huyo ni mwongo. Kwa maana mtu asipompenda ndugu yake ambaye amemwona, hawezi kumpenda Mungu ambaye hajamwona. 21 Na Mungu mwenyewe ametupa amri hii kwamba, mtu anayempenda Mungu hana budi kumpenda pia na ndugu yake.

Yohana Aonya juu ya Walimu wa Uongo

Rafiki zangu wapenzi, manabii wengi wa uongo wapo duniani sasa. Hivyo msiiamini kila roho, lakini zijaribuni hizo roho ili muone kama zinatoka kwa Mungu. Hivi ndivyo mwezavyo kuitambua Roho ya Mungu. Roho inayosema, “Naamini kuwa Yesu ni Masihi aliye kuja duniani na akafanyika mwanadamu.” Roho hiyo inatoka kwa Mungu. Roho inayokataa kutamka hayo juu ya Yesu, hii ni roho iliyo adui kwa Kristo. Mmesikia kuwa adui wa kristo anakuja, na sasa amekwishakuja naye yupo tayari ulimwenguni.

Wanangu wapenzi, ninyi ni wa Mungu, hivyo mmeshawashinda tayari hawa manabii wa uongo. Hii ni kwa sababu yule aliye ndani yenu ni mkuu kuliko yeye aliyeko duniani. Wao ni wa ulimwengu. Hivyo kile wanachokisema ni cha ulimwengu pia. Na ulimwengu husikia kile wanachokisema. Lakini sisi tunatokana na Mungu. Kwa hiyo watu wanaomjua Mungu hutusikia sisi. Lakini watu wasiotokana na Mungu hawatusikii sisi. Hivi ndivyo tunavyiojua Roho iliyo ya kweli na ile iliyo ya uongo.

Upendo Hutoka kwa Mungu

Wapenzi rafiki, tunatakiwa tupendane sisi kwa sisi, kwa sababu upendo watoka kwa Mungu. Yeyote apendae amefanyika mwana wa Mungu. Na kila apendae anamfahamu Mungu. Kila asiyependa hamfahamu Mungu, kwa sababu Mungu ni Pendo. Hivi ndivyo Mungu alivyo tuonyesha pendo lake sisi: Alimtuma mwanawe wa pekee ulimwenguni kutupatia sisi uzima katika yeye. 10 Upendo wa kweli ni upendo wa Mungu kwa ajili yetu, si upendo wetu kwa Mungu. Alimtuma mwanawe kama njia ya kuziondoa dhambi zetu.

11 Hivyo ndivyo Mungu atupendavyo, rafiki wapenzi! Kwa hiyo tupendane sisi kwa sisi. 12 Hakuna aliyemwona Mungu. Ila tukipendana sisi kwa sisi, Mungu anaishi ndani yetu. Kama tukipendana sisi kwa sisi, Upendo wa Mungu unafikia shabaha yake na unafanywa kamili ndani yetu.

13 Twatambua kuwa tunaishi katika Mungu na mungu ndani yetu. Twalitambua hilo kwa sababu ametupa Roho wake. 14 Tumeona kuwa Baba alimtuma mwanaye aje kuwa Mwokozi wa ulimwengu, na hili ndilo tunalowaambia watu sasa. 15 Yeyote anayesema, “Naamini kuwa Yesu ni Mwana wa Mungu,” huyo ni mtu anayeishi ndani ya Mungu, na Mungu anaishi ndani ya mtu huyo. 16 Hivyo twalifahamu pendo alilonalo Mungu kwetu, na tunalitumainia pendo hilo.

Mungu ni pendo. Kila anae ishi katika pendo anaishi ndani ya Mungu, na Mungu ndani yao. 17 Kama pendo la Mungu limekamilishwa ndani yetu, tunaweza kuwa bila hofu siku ambayo Mungu atahukumu ulimwengu. Hatutakuwa na hofu, kwa sababu katika ulimwengu huu tunaishi kama Yesu.[a] 18 Palipo na upendo wa Mungu, hakuna hofu, kwa sababu upendo wa Mungu ulio kamili unaondoa hofu. Ni hukumu yake ndiyo inayomfanya mtu kuwa na hofu. Hivyo pendo lake halikamilishwi kwa mtu ambaye ndani yake kuna hofu.

19 Tunapenda kwa sababu Mungu alitupenda sisi kwanza. 20 Kama tukisema kuwa tunampenda Mungu na tunamchukia mmojawapo wa kaka na dada zetu katika familia ya Mungu, basi sisi tu waongo. Kama hatuwezi kumpenda mtu tunayemwona, tutawezaje kumpenda Mungu, ambaye hata hatujamwona. 21 Mungu ametupa amri hii: Kama tunampenda Mungu, Ni lazima pia tupendane sisi kwa sisi kama kina kaka na kina dada.

Footnotes

  1. 4:17 Yesu Kwa maana ya kawaida, “Yeye Yule”.

On Denying the Incarnation

Dear friends,(A) do not believe every spirit,(B) but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.(C) This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh(D) is from God,(E) but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,(F) which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.(G)

You, dear children,(H) are from God and have overcome them,(I) because the one who is in you(J) is greater than the one who is in the world.(K) They are from the world(L) and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.(M) This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth(N) and the spirit of falsehood.(O)

God’s Love and Ours

Dear friends, let us love one another,(P) for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God(Q) and knows God.(R) Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.(S) This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son(T) into the world that we might live through him.(U) 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us(V) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.(W) 11 Dear friends,(X) since God so loved us,(Y) we also ought to love one another.(Z) 12 No one has ever seen God;(AA) but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.(AB)

13 This is how we know(AC) that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.(AD) 14 And we have seen and testify(AE) that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.(AF) 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,(AG) God lives in them and they in God.(AH) 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love.(AI) Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.(AJ) 17 This is how love is made complete(AK) among us so that we will have confidence(AL) on the day of judgment:(AM) In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,(AN) because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19 We love because he first loved us.(AO) 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister(AP) is a liar.(AQ) For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen,(AR) cannot love God, whom they have not seen.(AS) 21 And he has given us this command:(AT) Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.(AU)

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 4:6 Or spirit