The Command to Love

3 Behold ^(A)what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that ^(B)we should be called children of ^[a]God! Therefore the world does not know ^[b]us, ^(C)because it did not know Him. ² Beloved, ^(D)now we are children of God; and ^(E)it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, ^(F)we shall be like Him, for ^(G)we shall see Him as He is. ^3 (H)And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Sin and the Child of God

⁴ Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and ^(I)sin is lawlessness. ⁵ And you know ^(J)that He was manifested ^(K)to take away our sins, and ^(L)in Him there is no sin. ⁶ Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. ^8 (M)He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, ^(N)that He might destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ Whoever has been ^(O)born of God does not sin, for ^(P)His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

The Imperative of Love^(Q)

¹⁰ In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. ¹¹ For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, ^(R)that we should love one another, ¹² not as ^(S)Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.

¹³ Do not marvel, my brethren, if ^(T)the world hates you. ¹⁴ We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love ^[c]his brother abides in death. ^15 (U)Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that ^(V)no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

The Outworking of Love

^16 (W)By this we know love, ^(X)because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ¹⁷ But ^(Y)whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

¹⁸ My little children, ^(Z)let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. ¹⁹ And by this we ^[d]know ^(AA)that we are of the truth, and shall ^[e]assure our hearts before Him. ^20 (AB)For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, ^(AC)we have confidence toward God. ²² And ^(AD)whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments ^(AE)and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. ²³ And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ ^(AF)and love one another, as He gave ^[f]us commandment.

The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error

²⁴ Now ^(AG)he who keeps His commandments ^(AH)abides in Him, and He in him. And ^(AI)by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.