¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, ^(A)“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy ^(B)which will be to all people. ^11 (C)For there is born to you this day in the city of David ^(D)a Savior, ^(E)who is Christ the Lord.

The Government of the Promised Son^(A)

A Song of Praise to the Lord for His Salvation and Judgment

A Psalm.

^21 (A)And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name ^[a]Jesus, ^(B)for He will save His people from their sins.”

The Command to Love

3 Behold ^(A)what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that ^(B)we should be called children of ^[a]God! Therefore the world does not know ^[b]us, ^(C)because it did not know Him. ² Beloved, ^(D)now we are children of God; and ^(E)it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, ^(F)we shall be like Him, for ^(G)we shall see Him as He is. ^3 (H)And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Sin and the Child of God

⁴ Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and ^(I)sin is lawlessness. ⁵ And you know ^(J)that He was manifested ^(K)to take away our sins, and ^(L)in Him there is no sin. ⁶ Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. ^8 (M)He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, ^(N)that He might destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ Whoever has been ^(O)born of God does not sin, for ^(P)His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

⁹ If we ^(A)confess our sins, He is ^(B)faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to ^(C)cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

¹⁵ And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”

⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a ^[a]mystery: ^(A)We shall not all sleep, ^(B)but we shall all be changed— ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. ^(C)For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and ^(D)this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ^(E)“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and ^(G)the strength of sin is the law. ^57 (H)But thanks be to God, who gives us ^(I)the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.