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

The Imperative of Love^(E)

¹⁰ In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

^17 (A)All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.

¹⁶ Do you not know that ^(A)to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

¹⁹ I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness ^[a]for holiness.