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Christ Our Advocate
1 My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if someone should sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only concerning ours, but also concerning those of the whole world.
3 Now by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who claims to abide in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
The New Commandment
7 Brothers, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I am writing to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light already shines.
9 He who says that he is in the light and hates his brother is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you on account of His name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you have come to know Him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I am writing to you, little children, because you have come to know the Father. 14 I wrote to you, fathers, because you have come to know Him who is from the beginning. I wrote to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
Do Not Love the World
15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 Because everything that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and its lust; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Deceptions of the Last Hour
18 Little children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out in order that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I did not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is a liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either.
24 Therefore let that which you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise which He Himself promised to you—eternal life.
26 These things I wrote to you concerning those who deceive you. 27 And as for you, the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you about all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
Children of God
28 And now, little children, abide in Him, in order that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.