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)

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) 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) All who have this hope in him purify themselves,(O) just as he is pure.(P)

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.(Q) But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.(R) And in him is no sin.(S) 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)

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) 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) 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)

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 3:2 Or when it is made known

28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming.(A)

Children of God

29 If you perceive that he is righteous, you also know that everyone who does right has been born of him.(B) See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he[a] is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.(C) And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.(D) You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.(E) No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Little children,[b] let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. Everyone who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the works of the devil.(F) Those who have been born of God do not sin because God’s seed abides in them;[c] they cannot sin because they have been born of God.(G) 10 The children of God and the children of the devil are revealed in this way: all who do not do what is right are not from God, nor are those who do not love a brother or sister.(H)

Footnotes

  1. 3.2 Or it
  2. 3.7 Other ancient authorities read Children
  3. 3.9 Or because the children of God abide in him