1Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.[ † ]John 3:16Ephesians 2:4-71 John 4:10John 1:12John 15:18-21John 16:3 2Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.[ † ]Isaiah 56:5Romans 8:15-16Romans 8:18-19, 23Romans 8:292 Peter 1:4Psalms 16:11 3And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.[ † ]1 John 4:17
4Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness.[ † ]Romans 4:151 John 5:17 5But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.[ † ]1 John 1:21 John 3:8Isaiah 53:5-6John 1:292 Corinthians 5:21Hebrews 9:261 John 2:29 6No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.
7Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. 8The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.[ † ]Matthew 13:38John 8:441 John 3:10Luke 10:18Hebrews 2:14
9Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.[ † ]John 1:3John 3:31 John 2:291 John 4:71 John 5:1-4, 183 John 111 Peter 1:23 10By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
11This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.[ † ]John 13:34John 15:121 John 4:7-11, 212 John 5 12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.[ † ]Genesis 4:4-8 13So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.[ † ]John 15:18John 17:14
14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. 15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.[ † ]Matthew 5:21John 8:44Galatians 5:20-21Revelation 21:8
16By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.[ † ]John 3:16John 10:11John 15:13Galatians 2:20 17If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?[ † ]Deuteronomy 15:7
18Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.[ † ]Ezekiel 33:31 19And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence:[ † ]John 18:37 20Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things.[ † ]1 Corinthians 4:4-5
21Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God,[ † ]Hebrews 10:221 John 2:281 John 5:14 22and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.[ † ]Psalms 34:15John 15:71 John 5:14-15John 8:29Hebrews 13:21 23And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us.[ † ]Matthew 22:39 24Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.[ † ]John 14:23John 14:21John 17:21John 14:17Romans 8:9-14, 161 Thessalonians 4:81 John 4:13