1 See what marvellous love the Father has bestowed upon us--that we should be called God's children: and that is what we are. For this reason the world does not recognize us--because it has not known Him. 2 Dear friends, we are now God's children, but what we are to be in the future has not yet been fully revealed. We know that if Christ reappears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. 3 And every man who has this hope fixed on Him, purifies himself so as to be as pure as He is. 4 Every one who is guilty of sin is also guilty of violating Law; for sin is the violation of Law. 5 And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who continues in union with Him lives in sin: no one who lives in sin has seen Him or knows Him. 7 Dear children, let no one lead you astray. The man who acts righteously is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who is habitually guilty of sin is a child of the Devil, because the Devil has been a sinner from the very beginning. The Son of God appeared for the purpose of undoing the work of the Devil. 9 No one who is a child of God is habitually guilty of sin. A God-given germ of life remains in him, and he cannot habitually sin--because he is a child of God. 10 By this we can distinguish God's children and the Devil's children: no one who fails to act righteously is a child of God, nor he who does not love his brother man. 11 For this is the Message you have heard from the beginning--that we are to love one another. 12 We are not to resemble Cain, who was a child of the Evil one and killed his own brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own actions were wicked and his brother's actions righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. 14 As for us, we know that we have already passed out of death into Life--because we love our brother men. He who is destitute of love continues dead. 15 Every one who hates his brother man is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has the Life of the Ages continuing in him. 16 We know what love is--through Christ's having laid down His life on our behalf; and in the same way we ought to lay down our lives for our brother men. 17 But if any one has this world's wealth and sees that his brother man is in need, and yet hardens his heart against him--how can such a one continue to love God? 18 Dear children, let us not love in words only nor with the lips, but in deed and in truth. 19 And in this way we shall come to know that we are loyal to the truth, and shall satisfy our consciences in His presence 20 in whatever matters our hearts condemn us--because God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have perfect confidence towards God; 22 and whatever we ask for we obtain from Him, because we obey His commands and do the things which are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His command--that we are to believe in His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us to do. 24 The man who obeys His commands continues in union with God, and God continues in union with him; and through His Spirit whom He has given us we can know that He continues in union with us. | |