1 John 2

2My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, ^awe have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ²And ^bHe Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but ^calso for the whole world.

The Test of Knowing Him

³Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. ⁴He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a ^dliar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵But ^ewhoever keeps His word, truly the love of God ¹is perfected ^fin him. By this we know that we are in Him. ^6gHe who says he abides in Him ^hought himself also to walk just as He walked.

⁷²Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had ⁱfrom the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard ³from the beginning. ⁸Again, ^ja new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, ^kbecause the darkness is passing away, and ^lthe true light is already shining.

^9mHe who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. ¹⁰ⁿHe who loves his brother abides in the light, and ^othere is no cause for stumbling in him. ¹¹But he who ^phates his brother is in darkness and ^qwalks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Their Spiritual State

¹²I write to you, little children,

Because ^ryour sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.

¹³I write to you, fathers,

Because you have known Him who is ^sfrom the beginning.

I write to you, young men,

Because you have overcome the wicked one.

I write to you, little children,

Because you have ^tknown the Father.

¹⁴I have written to you, fathers,

Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.

I have written to you, young men,

Because ^uyou are strong, and the word of God abides in you,

And you have overcome the wicked one.

Do Not Love the World

^15vDo not love the world or the things in the world. ^wIf anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, ^xthe lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. ¹⁷And ^ythe world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Deceptions of the Last Hour

^18zLittle children, ^ait is the last hour; and as you have heard that ^bthe ⁴Antichrist is coming, ^ceven now many antichrists have come, by which we know ^dthat it is the last hour. ^19eThey went out from us, but they were not of us; for ^fif they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out ^gthat they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

²⁰But ^hyou have an anointing ⁱfrom the Holy One, and ^jyou ⁵know all things. ²¹I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

^22kWho is a liar but he who denies that ^lJesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. ^23mWhoever denies the Son does not have the ⁿFather either; ^ohe who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Let Truth Abide in You

²⁴Therefore let that abide in you ^pwhich you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, ^qyou also will abide in the Son and in the Father. ^25rAnd this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.

²⁶These things I have written to you concerning those who try to ⁶deceive you. ²⁷But the ^sanointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and ^tyou do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing ^uteaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you ⁷will abide in Him.

The Children of God

²⁸And now, little children, abide in Him, that ⁸when He appears, we may have ^vconfidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. ^29wIf you know that He is righteous, you know that ^xeveryone who practices righteousness is born of Him.