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)

More on Love and Hatred

¹¹ For this is the message you heard^(AJ) from the beginning:^(AK) We should love one another.^{(AL) 12} Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one^(AM) and murdered his brother.^(AN) And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.^{(AO) 13} Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,^[b] if the world hates you.^{(AP) 14} We know that we have passed from death to life,^(AQ) because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.^{(AR) 15} Anyone who hates a brother or sister^(AS) is a murderer,^(AT) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.^(AU)

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.^(AV) And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.^{(AW) 17} If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them,^(AX) how can the love of God be in that person?^{(AY) 18} Dear children,^(AZ) let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.^(BA)

¹⁹ This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: ²⁰ If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. ²¹ Dear friends,^(BB) if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God^{(BC) 22} and receive from him anything we ask,^(BD) because we keep his commands^(BE) and do what pleases him.^{(BF) 23} And this is his command: to believe^(BG) in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,^(BH) and to love one another as he commanded us.^{(BI) 24} The one who keeps God’s commands^(BJ) lives in him,^(BK) and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.^(BL)

On Denying the Incarnation

4 Dear friends,^(BM) do not believe every spirit,^(BN) but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.^{(BO) 2} This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh^(BP) is from God,^{(BQ) 3} but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,^(BR) which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.^(BS)

⁴ You, dear children,^(BT) are from God and have overcome them,^(BU) because the one who is in you^(BV) is greater than the one who is in the world.^{(BW) 5} They are from the world^(BX) and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.^(BY) This is how we recognize the Spirit^[c] of truth^(BZ) and the spirit of falsehood.^(CA)

God’s Love and Ours

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another,^(CB) for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God^(CC) and knows God.^{(CD) 8} Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.^{(CE) 9} This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son^(CF) into the world that we might live through him.^{(CG) 10} This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us^(CH) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.^{(CI) 11} Dear friends,^(CJ) since God so loved us,^(CK) we also ought to love one another.^{(CL) 12} No one has ever seen God;^(CM) but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.^(CN)

¹³ This is how we know^(CO) that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.^{(CP) 14} And we have seen and testify^(CQ) that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.^{(CR) 15} If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,^(CS) God lives in them and they in God.^{(CT) 16} And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love.^(CU) Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.^{(CV) 17} This is how love is made complete^(CW) among us so that we will have confidence^(CX) on the day of judgment:^(CY) In this world we are like Jesus. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,^(CZ) because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

¹⁹ We love because he first loved us.^{(DA) 20} Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister^(DB) is a liar.^(DC) For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen,^(DD) cannot love God, whom they have not seen.^{(DE) 21} And he has given us this command:^(DF) Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.^(DG)

Faith in the Incarnate Son of God

5 Everyone who believes^(DH) that Jesus is the Christ^(DI) is born of God,^(DJ) and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.^{(DK) 2} This is how we know^(DL) that we love the children of God:^(DM) by loving God and carrying out his commands. ³ In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.^(DN) And his commands are not burdensome,^(DO)