3 Consider how much love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. ² Beloved, now are we children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. ³ Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

⁴ Whoever practices sin breaks the law, for sin is lawlessness. ⁵ You know that He was revealed to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. ⁶ Whoever remains in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has not seen Him and does not know Him.

⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who does righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. ⁸ Whoever practices sin is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed, that He might destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ Whoever has been born of God does not practice sin, for His seed remains in him. And he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. ¹⁰ In this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: Whoever does not live in righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

Love One Another

¹¹ For this is the message that you heard from the beginning: We should love one another, ¹² not like Cain, who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s works were righteous. ¹³ Do not marvel, my brothers, if the world hates you. ¹⁴ We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love his brother remains in death. ¹⁵ Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.

¹⁶ By this we know the love of God: that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷ Whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, but closes his heart of compassion from him, how can the love of God remain in him? ¹⁸ My little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.

Confidence Before God

¹⁹ By this we know that we are of the truth, and shall reassure our hearts before Him. ²⁰ For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows everything. ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, then we have confidence before God. ²² And whatever we ask, we will receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the 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 and love one another as He commanded us. ²⁴ Now the one who keeps His commandments remains in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He remains in us, through the Spirit whom He has given us.