God’s Children

28 So now, little children, remain in him so that when he appears(A) we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming.(B) 29 If you know that he is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right(C) has been born of him.(D)

See what great love[a] the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him. Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed.(E) We know that when he appears,[b] we will be like him(F) because we will see him as he is.(G) And everyone who has this hope(H) in him purifies himself just as he is pure.(I)

Footnotes

  1. 3:1 Or what sort of love
  2. 3:2 Or when it appears

Remaining until Jesus appears

28 And now, little children, remain in relationship to Jesus, so that when he appears we can have confidence and not be ashamed in front of him when he comes. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you also know that every person who practices righteousness is born from him.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us in that we should be called God’s children, and that is what we are! Because the world didn’t recognize him, it doesn’t recognize us.

Dear friends, now we are God’s children, and it hasn’t yet appeared what we will be. We know that when he appears we will be like him because we’ll see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves even as he is pure.