3 See ^(A)what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called ^(B)children of God; and so we are. The reason why ^(C)the world does not know us is that ^(D)it did not know him. ² Beloved, we are ^(E)God's children ^(F)now, and what we will be ^(G)has not yet appeared; but we know that ^(H)when he appears^{[a] (I)}we shall be like him, because ^(J)we shall see him as he is. ³ And everyone who ^(K)thus hopes in him ^(L)purifies himself as he is pure.

¹⁶ By this we know love, that ^(A)he laid down his life for us, and ^(B)we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷ But ^(C)if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet ^(D)closes his heart against him, ^(E)how does God's love abide in him? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not ^(F)love in word or talk but in deed and ^(G)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, ^(H)if our heart does not condemn us, ^(I)we have confidence before God; ²² and ^(J)whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and ^(K)do what pleases him. ²³ And this is his commandment, ^(L)that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and ^(M)love one another, ^(N)just as he has commanded us. ^24 (O)Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God,^[a] and God^[b] in him. And ^(P)by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.