1 John 2:19-4:1

English Standard Version

^19 (A)They went out from us, but they were not of us; for ^(B)if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, ^(C)that it might become plain that they all are not of us. ²⁰ But you have been ^(D)anointed by ^(E)the Holy One, and ^(F)you all have knowledge.^{[a] 21} I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. ²² Who is the liar but ^(G)he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is ^(H)the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. ^23 (I)No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. ²⁴ Let ^(J)what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then ^(K)you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. ²⁵ And this is the promise that he made to us^[b]—^(L)eternal life.

²⁶ I write these things to you about ^(M)those who are trying to deceive you. ²⁷ But ^(N)the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and ^(O)you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and ^(P)is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

Children of God

²⁸ And now, little children, abide in him, so that ^(Q)when he appears ^(R)we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his ^(S)coming. ²⁹ If you know that ^(T)he is righteous, you may be sure that ^(U)everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

3 See ^(V)what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called ^(W)children of God; and so we are. The reason why ^(X)the world does not know us is that ^(Y)it did not know him. ² Beloved, we are ^(Z)God's children ^(AA)now, and what we will be ^(AB)has not yet appeared; but we know that ^(AC)when he appears^{[c] (AD)}we shall be like him, because ^(AE)we shall see him as he is. ³ And everyone who ^(AF)thus hopes in him ^(AG)purifies himself as he is pure.

⁴ Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; ^(AH)sin is lawlessness. ⁵ You know that ^(AI)he appeared in order to ^(AJ)take away sins, and ^(AK)in him there is no sin. ⁶ No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; ^(AL)no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. ⁷ Little children, ^(AM)let no one deceive you. ^(AN)Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. ^8 (AO)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 ^(AP)to destroy the works of the devil. ^9 (AQ)No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's^[d] 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, ^(AR)nor is the one who ^(AS)does not love his brother.

Love One Another

¹¹ For ^(AT)this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, ^(AU)that we should love one another. ¹² We should not be like ^(AV)Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? ^(AW)Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. ¹³ Do not be surprised, brothers,^{[e] (AX)}that the world hates you. ¹⁴ We know that ^(AY)we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. ^15 (AZ)Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that ^(BA)no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

¹⁶ By this we know love, that ^(BB)he laid down his life for us, and ^(BC)we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷ But ^(BD)if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet ^(BE)closes his heart against him, ^(BF)how does God's love abide in him? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not ^(BG)love in word or talk but in deed and ^(BH)in truth.

¹⁹ By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; ²⁰ for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. ²¹ Beloved, ^(BI)if our heart does not condemn us, ^(BJ)we have confidence before God; ²² and ^(BK)whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and ^(BL)do what pleases him. ²³ And this is his commandment, ^(BM)that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and ^(BN)love one another, ^(BO)just as he has commanded us. ^24 (BP)Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God,^[f] and God^[g] in him. And ^(BQ)by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

Test the Spirits

4 Beloved, ^(BR)do not believe every spirit, but ^(BS)test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for ^(BT)many ^(BU)false prophets ^(BV)have gone out into the world.