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1 John 2:28-3:10
English Standard Version
1 John 2:28-3:10
English Standard Version
Children of God
28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that (A)when he appears (B)we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his (C)coming. 29 If you know that (D)he is righteous, you may be sure that (E)everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
3 See (F)what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called (G)children of God; and so we are. The reason why (H)the world does not know us is that (I)it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are (J)God's children (K)now, and what we will be (L)has not yet appeared; but we know that (M)when he appears[a] (N)we shall be like him, because (O)we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who (P)thus hopes in him (Q)purifies himself as he is pure.
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; (R)sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that (S)he appeared in order to (T)take away sins, and (U)in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; (V)no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, (W)let no one deceive you. (X)Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 (Y)Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was (Z)to destroy the works of the devil. 9 (AA)No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's[b] seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, (AB)nor is the one who (AC)does not love his brother.
Footnotes
- 1 John 3:2 Or when it appears
- 1 John 3:9 Greek his
1 John 2:28-3:10
New International Version
1 John 2:28-3:10
New International Version
God’s Children and Sin
28 And now, dear children,(A) continue in him, so that when he appears(B) we may be confident(C) and unashamed before him at his coming.(D)
29 If you know that he is righteous,(E) you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.(F)
3 See what great love(G) the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!(H) And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.(I) 2 Dear friends,(J) now we are children of God,(K) and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a](L) we shall be like him,(M) for we shall see him as he is.(N) 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves,(O) just as he is pure.(P)
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.(Q) 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.(R) And in him is no sin.(S) 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.(T) No one who continues to sin has either seen him(U) or known him.(V)
7 Dear children,(W) do not let anyone lead you astray.(X) The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.(Y) 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil,(Z) because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God(AA) appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.(AB) 9 No one who is born of God(AC) will continue to sin,(AD) because God’s seed(AE) remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God(AF) are and who the children of the devil(AG) are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love(AH) their brother and sister.(AI)
Footnotes
- 1 John 3:2 Or when it is made known
1 John 2:28-3:10
The Message
1 John 2:28-3:10
The Message
Live Deeply in Christ
28 And now, children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ. Then we’ll be ready for him when he appears, ready to receive him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when he arrives.
29 Once you’re convinced that he is right and righteous, you’ll recognize that all who practice righteousness are God’s true children.
3 What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to.
2-3 But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own.
4-6 All who indulge in a sinful life are dangerously lawless, for sin is a major disruption of God’s order. Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get rid of sin. There is no sin in him, and sin is not part of his program. No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They’ve got him all backward.
7-8 So, my dear children, don’t let anyone divert you from the truth. It’s the person who acts right who is right, just as we see it lived out in our righteous Messiah. Those who make a practice of sin are straight from the Devil, the pioneer in the practice of sin. The Son of God entered the scene to abolish the Devil’s ways.
9-10 People conceived and brought into life by God don’t make a practice of sin. How could they? God’s seed is deep within them, making them who they are. It’s not in the nature of the God-born to practice and parade sin. Here’s how you tell the difference between God’s children and the Devil’s children: The one who won’t practice righteous ways isn’t from God, nor is the one who won’t love brother or sister. A simple test.
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English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson