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 21 I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ?h This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father;i he who confesses the Son has the Father as well.j

REMAINING WITH GOD

24 What you have heard from the beginning is to remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Sonk and in the Father.l 25 And this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life.m

26 I have written these things to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, his anointing teaches you about all thingsn and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you,B remain in him.o

GOD’S CHILDREN

28 So now, little children, remain in him so that when he appearsp we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming.q 29 If you know that he is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is rightr has been born of him.s