Abide in Him

²⁸ Even now, little children, abide in him. Then, when he appears, we will have confidence and will not turn away from him in shame when he comes. ²⁹ Since you know that he is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been fathered by God.^[a]

We are God’s Children

3 See what kind of love the Father has given us: We are called God’s children—and that is what we are!^[b] For this reason the world does not recognize us, because it did not recognize him, either.

² Dear friends, we are now God’s children, but what we will be like has not been revealed yet. We know that when the Messiah^[c] is revealed, we will be like him, because we will see him as he is. ³ And everyone who has this hope based on him keeps himself pure, just as the Messiah^[d] is pure.