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

GOD’S COMMANDS

3 This is how we knowv 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. 5 But 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 himz should walk just as he walked.

7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new commandaa but an old command that you have had from the beginning. The old command is the wordab you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing awayac and the true lightad is already shining.ae 9 The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother or sisteraf is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother or sisterag remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.D 11 But the one who hates his brother or sisterah 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.

REASONS FOR WRITING

12 I am writing to you, little children,

since your sins have been forgiven

on account of his name.ak

13 I am writing to you, fathers,

because you have come to know

the one who is from the beginning.al

I am writing to you, young men,

because you have conquered the evil one.am

14 I have written to you, children,

because you have come to know the Father.

I have written to you, fathers,

because you have come to know

the one who is from the beginning.

I have written to you, young men,

because you are strong,

God’s wordan remains in you,

and you have conquered the evil one.

A WARNING ABOUT THE WORLD

15 Do not love the worldao or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh,ap the lust of the eyes,aq and the pridear in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world with its lust is passing away,a but the one who does the will of Godb remains forever.c

THE LAST HOUR

18 Children, it is the last hour.d And as you have heard that antichriste is coming, even now many antichrists have come. By this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us.

20 But you have an anointingf from the Holy One,g and all of you know the truth.A