On Not Loving the World

¹⁵ Do not love the world or anything in the world.^(J) If anyone loves the world, love for the Father^[a] is not in them.^{(K) 16} For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh,^(L) the lust of the eyes,^(M) and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away,^(N) but whoever does the will of God^(O) lives forever.

Warnings Against Denying the Son

¹⁸ Dear children, this is the last hour;^(P) and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming,^(Q) even now many antichrists have come.^(R) This is how we know it is the last hour. ¹⁹ They went out from us,^(S) but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.^(T)

²⁰ But you have an anointing^(U) from the Holy One,^(V) and all of you know the truth.^{[b](W) 21} I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it^(X) and because no lie comes from the truth. ²² Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.^{(Y) 23} No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.^(Z)

²⁴ As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning^(AA) remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.^{(AB) 25} And this is what he promised us—eternal life.^(AC)

²⁶ I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.^{(AD) 27} As for you, the anointing^(AE) you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things^(AF) and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.^(AG)

God’s Children and Sin

²⁸ And now, dear children,^(AH) continue in him, so that when he appears^(AI) we may be confident^(AJ) and unashamed before him at his coming.^(AK)

²⁹ If you know that he is righteous,^(AL) you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.^(AM)

3 See what great love^(AN) the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!^(AO) And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.^{(AP) 2} Dear friends,^(AQ) now we are children of God,^(AR) and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,^[c](AS) we shall be like him,^(AT) for we shall see him as he is.^{(AU) 3} All who have this hope in him purify themselves,^(AV) just as he is pure.^(AW)

⁴ Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.^{(AX) 5} But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.^(AY) And in him is no sin.^{(AZ) 6} No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.^(BA) No one who continues to sin has either seen him^(BB) or known him.^(BC)

⁷ Dear children,^(BD) do not let anyone lead you astray.^(BE) The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.^{(BF) 8} The one who does what is sinful is of the devil,^(BG) because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God^(BH) appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.^{(BI) 9} No one who is born of God^(BJ) will continue to sin,^(BK) because God’s seed^(BL) 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^(BM) are and who the children of the devil^(BN) are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love^(BO) their brother and sister.^(BP)

More on Love and Hatred

¹¹ For this is the message you heard^(BQ) from the beginning:^(BR) We should love one another.^{(BS) 12} Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one^(BT) and murdered his brother.^(BU) And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.^{(BV) 13} Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,^[d] if the world hates you.^{(BW) 14} We know that we have passed from death to life,^(BX) because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.^{(BY) 15} Anyone who hates a brother or sister^(BZ) is a murderer,^(CA) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.^(CB)

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

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,^(CI) if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God^{(CJ) 22} and receive from him anything we ask,^(CK) because we keep his commands^(CL) and do what pleases him.^(CM)