1 John 2:24-3:15

New King James Version

Let Truth Abide in You

²⁴ Therefore let that abide in you ^(A)which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, ^(B)you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. ^25 (C)And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.

²⁶ These things I have written to you concerning those who try to ^[a]deceive you. ²⁷ But the ^(D)anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and ^(E)you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing ^(F)teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you ^[b]will abide in Him.

The Children of God

²⁸ And now, little children, abide in Him, that ^[c]when He appears, we may have ^(G)confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. ^29 (H)If you know that He is righteous, you know that ^(I)everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

The Command to Love

3 Behold ^(J)what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that ^(K)we should be called children of ^[d]God! Therefore the world does not know ^[e]us, ^(L)because it did not know Him. ² Beloved, ^(M)now we are children of God; and ^(N)it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, ^(O)we shall be like Him, for ^(P)we shall see Him as He is. ^3 (Q)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 ^(R)sin is lawlessness. ⁵ And you know ^(S)that He was manifested ^(T)to take away our sins, and ^(U)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 (V)He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, ^(W)that He might destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ Whoever has been ^(X)born of God does not sin, for ^(Y)His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

The Imperative of Love^(Z)

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, ^(AA)that we should love one another, ¹² not as ^(AB)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 ^(AC)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 ^[f]his brother abides in death. ^15 (AD)Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that ^(AE)no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.