3 Behold awhat manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that bwe should be called children of 1God! Therefore the world does not know 2us, cbecause it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, dnow we are children of God; and eit has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, fwe shall be like Him, for gwe shall see Him as He is. 3 hAnd everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Sin and the Child of God

4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and isin is lawlessness. 5 And you know jthat He was manifested kto take away our sins, and lin Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 mHe who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, nthat He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been oborn of God does not sin, for pHis seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

The Imperative of Love

10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, qthat we should love one another, 12 not as rCain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.

13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if sthe world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love 3his brother abides in death. 15 tWhoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that uno murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

The Outworking of Love

16 vBy this we know love, wbecause He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But xwhoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

18 My little children, ylet us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we 4know zthat we are of the truth, and shall 5assure our hearts before Him. 20 aFor if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, bwe have confidence toward God. 22 And cwhatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments dand do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ eand love one another, as He gave 6us commandment.

The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error

24 Now fhe who keeps His commandments gabides in Him, and He in him. And hby this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.