1 See 1Lit what kind of loveAJohn 3:16; 1 John 4:10how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called BJohn 1:12; 11:52; Rom 8:16; 1 John 3:2, 10children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because CJohn 15:18, 21; 16:3it did not know Him. 2 A1 John 2:7Beloved, now we are BJohn 1:12; 11:52; Rom 8:16; 1 John 3:1, 10children of God, and CRom 8:19, 23fit has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He DLuke 17:30; Col 3:4; 1 John 2:28appears, we will be ERom 8:29; 2 Pet 1:4like Him, because we will FJohn 17:24; 2 Cor 3:18see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this ARom 15:12; 1 Pet 1:3hope fixed on Him BJohn 17:19; 2 Cor 7:1purifies himself, just as He is pure.

4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and ARom 4:15; 1 John 5:17sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that He A1 John 1:2; 3:8appeared in order to BJohn 1:29; 1 Pet 1:18-20; 1 John 2:2take away sins; and C2 Cor 5:21; 1 John 2:29in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in Him A1 John 3:9sins; no one who sins has seen Him or 1Or has knownB1 John 2:3; 3 John 11knows Him. 7 A1 John 2:1Little children, make sure no one B1 John 2:26deceives you; C1 John 2:29the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who practices sin is AMatt 13:38; John 8:44; 1 John 3:10of the devil; for the devil 1Lit sinshas sinned from the beginning. BMatt 4:3The Son of God C1 John 3:5appeared for this purpose, DJohn 12:31; 16:11to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who is 1Or begottenAJohn 1:13; 3:3; 1 John 2:29; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18; 3 John 11born of God B1 Pet 1:23; 1 John 3:6; 5:18practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is 1Or begottenborn of God. 10 By this the AJohn 1:12; 11:52; Rom 8:16; 1 John 3:1, 2children of God and the BMatt 13:38; John 8:44; 1 John 3:8children of the devil are obvious: 1Lit everyoneanyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who CRom 13:8ff; Col 3:14; 1 Tim 1:5; 1 John 4:8does not love his D1 John 2:9brother.

11 A1 John 1:5For this is the message B1 John 2:7which you have heard from the beginning, CJohn 13:4f; 15:12; 1 John 4:7, 11f, 21; 2 John 5that we should love one another; 12 not as AGen 4:8Cain, who was of BMatt 5:37; 1 John 2:13fthe evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because CPs 38:20; Prov 29:10; John 8:40, 41his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.

13 Do not be surprised, brethren, if AJohn 15:18; 17:14the world hates you. 14 We know that we have AJohn 5:24passed out of death into life, BJohn 13:35; 1 John 2:10because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who AMatt 5:21f; John 8:44hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that BGal 5:20f; Rev 21:8no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 We know love by this, that AJohn 10:11; 15:13He laid down His life for us; and BPhil 2:17; 1 Thess 2:8we ought to lay down our lives for the C1 John 2:9brethren. 17 But AJames 2:15fwhoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and BDeut 15:7closes his 1Lit inward partsheart 2Lit fromagainst him, C1 John 4:20how does the love of God abide in him? 18 A1 John 2:1; 3:7Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and B2 John 1; 3 John 1truth. 19 We will know by this that we are A1 John 2:21of the truth, and will 1Lit persuadeassure our heart before Him 20 1Or that if our heart condemns us, that God...in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 21 A1 John 3:2Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have B1 John 2:28; 5:14confidence 1Lit towardbefore God; 22 and AJob 22:26f; Matt 7:7; 21:22; John 9:31whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we B1 John 2:3keep His commandments and do CJohn 8:29; Heb 13:21the things that are pleasing in His sight.

23 This is His commandment, that we 1Or believe the nameAJohn 6:29believe in BJohn 1:12; 2:23; 3:18the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as CJohn 13:34; 15:12; 1 John 2:8He 2Lit gave us a commandmentcommanded us. 24 The one who A1 John 2:3keeps His commandments BJohn 6:56; 10:38; 1 John 2:6, 24; 4:15abides in Him, and He in him. CJohn 14:17; Rom 8:9, 14, 16; 1 Thess 4:8; 1 John 4:13We know by this that D1 John 2:5He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.