4  Every one that practises sin practises also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5  And ye know that he has been manifested that he might take away our sins; and in him sin is not. 6  Whoever abides in him, does not sin: whoever sins, has not seen him or known him. 7  Children, let no man lead you astray; he that practises righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8  He that practises sin is of the devil; for from the beginning the devil sins. To this end the Son of God has been manifested, that he might undo the works of the devil. 9  Whoever has been begotten of God does not practise sin, because his seed abides in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been begotten of God. 10  In this are manifest the children of God and the children of the devil. Whoever does not practise righteousness is not of God, and he who does not love his brother.

11  For this is the message which ye have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another: 12  not as Cain was of the wicked one, and slew his brother; and on account of what slew he him? because his works were wicked, and those of his brother righteous. 13  Do not wonder, brethren, if the world hate you.

14  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15  Every one that hates his brother is a murderer, and ye know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16  Hereby we have known love, because he has laid down his life for us; and we ought for the brethren to lay down our lives. 17  But whoso may have the world’s substance, and see his brother having need, and shut up his bowels from him, how abides the love of God in him? 18  Children, let us not love with word, nor with tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19  And hereby we shall know that we are of the truth, and shall persuade our hearts before him—

20  that if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 21  Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness towards God, 22  and whatsoever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments, and practise the things which are pleasing in his sight.

23  And this is his commandment, that we believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and that we love one another, even as he has given us commandment. 24  And he that keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given to us.

Chapter 4

1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, if they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2  Hereby ye know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses Jesus Christ come in flesh is of God; 3  and every spirit which does not confess Jesus Christ come in flesh is not of God: and this is that power of the antichrist, of which ye have heard that it comes, and now it is already in the world.

4  Ye are of God, children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. 5  They are of the world; for this reason they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6  We are of God; he that knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

7  Beloved, let us love one another; because love is of God, and every one that loves has been begotten of God, and knows God.