1 John 2

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.

Reasons for Writing

¹²I am writing to you, little children,

because your sins have been forgiven

because of Jesus’ name. ^p

¹³I am writing to you, fathers,

because you have come to know

the One who is from the beginning. ^q

I am writing to you, young men,

because you have had victory over the evil one. ^r

¹⁴I 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 word ^sremains in you,

and you have had victory over the evil one.

A Warning about the World

¹⁵Do not love the world ^tor the things that belong to ^uthe world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. ¹⁶For everything that belongs to ^vthe world—the lust of the flesh, ^wthe lust of the eyes, ^xand the pride ^yin one’s lifestyle—is not from the Father, but is from the world. ¹⁷And the world with its lust is passing away, ^zbut the one who does God’s will ^aremains forever. ^b

The Last Hour

¹⁸Children, it is the last hour. ^cAnd as you have heard, “Antichrist ^dis coming,” even now many antichrists have come. We know from this that it is the last hour. ¹⁹They 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.

²⁰But you have an anointing ^efrom the Holy One, ^fand all of you have knowledge. ^g21I 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. ²²Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Messiah? ^hThis one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son. ²³No one who denies the Son can have the Father; ⁱhe who confesses the Son has the Father as well. ^j

Remaining with God

²⁴What you have heard from the beginning must remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son ^kand in the Father. ^l25And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life. ^m26I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

²⁷The anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, His anointing teaches you about all things ⁿand is true and is not a lie; just as He has taught you, remain in Him. ^o

God’s Children

²⁸So now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears ^pwe may have boldness and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. ^q29If you know that He is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right ^rhas been born of Him. ^s