Children of God, Love One Another

3 See ^[a](A)how great a love the Father has given to us, that we would be called ^(B)children of God; and we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because ^(C)it did not know Him. ^2 (D)Beloved, now we are ^(E)children of God, and ^(F)it has not been manifested as yet what we will be. We know that when He ^(G)is manifested, we will be ^(H)like Him, because we will ^(I)see Him just as He is. ³ And everyone who has this ^(J)hope fixed on Him ^(K)purifies himself, just as He is pure.

⁴ Everyone who does sin also does lawlessness; and ^(L)sin is lawlessness. ⁵ And you know that He ^(M)was manifested in order to ^(N)take away sins, and ^(O)in Him there is no sin. ⁶ No one who abides in Him ^(P)sins; no one who sins has seen Him or ^[b](Q)has come to know Him. ^7 (R)Little children, let no one ^(S)deceive you. ^(T)The one who does righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. ⁸ The one who does sin is ^(U)of the devil, because the devil sins from the beginning. ^(V)The Son of God ^(W)was manifested for this purpose, ^(X)to destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ Everyone who has been ^[c](Y)born of God ^(Z)does not sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been ^[d]born of God. ¹⁰ By this the ^(AA)children of God and the ^(AB)children of the devil are manifested: everyone who does not do righteousness is not of God, as well as the one who ^(AC)does not love his ^(AD)brother.

^11 (AE)For this is the message ^(AF)which you have heard from the beginning, ^(AG)that we should love one another; ¹² not as ^(AH)Cain, who was of ^(AI)the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because ^(AJ)his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.

¹³ Do not marvel, brothers, if ^(AK)the world hates you. ¹⁴ We know that we have ^(AL)passed out of death into life, ^(AM)because we love the brothers. The one who does not love abides in death. ¹⁵ Everyone who ^(AN)hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that ^(AO)no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. ¹⁶ By this we have known love, that ^(AP)He laid down His life for us; and ^(AQ)we ought to lay down our lives for the ^(AR)brothers. ¹⁷ But ^(AS)whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and ^(AT)closes his ^[e]heart ^[f]against him, ^(AU)how does the love of God abide in him? ^18 (AV)Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and ^(AW)truth. ¹⁹ And by this we will know that we are ^(AX)of the truth, and will ^[g]assure our heart before Him ^20 [h]in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. ^21 (AY)Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have ^(AZ)confidence ^[i]before God; ²² and ^(BA)whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we ^(BB)keep His commandments and do ^(BC)the things that are pleasing in His sight.

²³ And this is His commandment, that we ^[j](BD)believe in ^(BE)the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as ^(BF)He gave a commandment to us. ²⁴ And the one who ^(BG)keeps His commandments ^(BH)abides in Him, and He in him. ^(BI)We know by this that ^(BJ)He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He gave us.