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We Are God’s Children

28 Now, dear children, live in Christ. Then, when he appears we will have confidence, and when he comes we won’t turn from him in shame. 29 If you know that Christ has God’s approval, you also know that everyone who does what God approves of has been born from God.

Consider this: The Father has given us his love. He loves us so much that we are actually called God’s dear children. And that’s what we are. For this reason the world doesn’t recognize us, and it didn’t recognize him either. Dear friends, now we are God’s children. What we will be isn’t completely clear yet. We do know that when Christ appears we will be like him because we will see him as he is. So all people who have this confidence in Christ keep themselves pure, as Christ is pure.

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)

Footnotes

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