1 John 1:5–2:11

Fellowship with God

⁵Now this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, ^jand there is absolutely no darkness in Him. ^k6If we say, “We have fellowship ^lwith Him,” yet we walk in darkness, ^mwe are lying and are not practicing ⁿthe truth. ^o7But if we walk in the light ^pas He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus ^qHis Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸If we say, “We have no sin,” ^rwe are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive ^sus our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we say, “We don’t have any sin,” we make Him a liar, and His word ^tis not in us. ^u

2My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate ^vwith the Father—Jesus Christ the Righteous One. ²He Himself is the propitiation ^wfor our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world. ^x

God’s Commands

³This is how we are sure ^ythat we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands. ^z4The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” yet doesn’t keep His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵But whoever keeps His word, ^atruly in him the love of God is perfected. ^bThis is how we know we are in Him: ^c6The one who says he remains in Him ^dshould walk just as He walked.

⁷Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command ^ebut an old command that you have had from the beginning. The old command is the message ^fyou have heard. ⁸Yet I am writing you a new command, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away ^gand the true light ^his already shining. ⁱ

⁹The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother ^jis in the darkness until now. ¹⁰The one who loves his brother ^kremains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. ^l11But the one who hates his brother ^mis in the darkness, walks in the darkness, ⁿand doesn’t know where he’s going, ^obecause the darkness has blinded his eyes.