1 John 3–4

3Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. ²Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is. ³And every one that hath this hope set on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. ⁴Every one that doeth sin doeth also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. ⁵And ye know that he was manifested to take away sins; and in him is no sin. ⁶Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither knoweth him. ⁷My little children, let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous: ⁸he that doeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. To this end was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. ⁹Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God. ¹⁰In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. ¹¹For this is the message which ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another: ¹²not as Cain was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

¹³Marvel not, brethren, if the world hateth you. ¹⁴We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death. ¹⁵Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. ¹⁶Hereby know we love, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ¹⁷But whoso hath the world’s goods, and beholdeth his brother in need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love of God abide in him? ¹⁸My little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth. ¹⁹Hereby shall we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before him: ²⁰because if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. ²¹Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; ²²and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. ²³And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he gave us commandment. ²⁴And he that keepeth his commandments abideth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.

4Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. ²Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: ³and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the spirit of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and now it is in the world already. ⁴Ye are of God, my little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. ⁵They are of the world: therefore speak they as of the world, and the world heareth them. ⁶We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he who is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

⁷Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God. ⁸He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. ⁹Herein was the love of God manifested in us, that God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No man hath beheld God at any time: if we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us: ¹³hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father hath sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. ¹⁵Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him, and he in God. ¹⁶And we know and have believed the love which God hath in us. God is love; and he that abideth in love abideth in God, and God abideth in him. ¹⁷Herein is love made perfect with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, even so are we in this world. ¹⁸There is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath punishment; and he that feareth is not made perfect in love. ¹⁹We love, because he first loved us. ²⁰If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen. ²¹And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.