1 John 1:5–2:11

FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD

⁵This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light,^h and there is absolutely no darkness in him.^{i 6}If we say, “We have fellowship^j with him,” and yet we walk in darkness,^k we are lying and are not practicing the truth.^{l 7}If we walk in the light^m as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesusⁿ his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸If we say, “We have no sin,”^o we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive^p us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word^q is not in us.^r

2My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate^s with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one. ²He himself is the atoning sacrifice^Ct for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.^u

GOD’S COMMANDS

³This is how we know^v that we know him: if we keep his commands.^{w 4}The one who says, “I have come to know him,” and yet doesn’t keep his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵But whoever keeps his word,^x truly in him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know we are in him:^{y 6}The one who says he remains in him^z should walk just as he walked.

⁷Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command^aa but an old command that you have had from the beginning. The old command is the word^ab you have heard. ⁸Yet I am writing you a new command, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away^ac and the true light^ad is already shining.^{ae 9}The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother or sister^af is in the darkness until now. ¹⁰The one who loves his brother or sister^ag remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.^{D 11}But the one who hates his brother or sister^ah is in the darkness, walks in the darkness,^ai and doesn’t know where he’s going,^aj because the darkness has blinded his eyes.