1 John 2:3–17

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