Children of God

1Behold what love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God—and we are! Because of this, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2Beloved, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears,a we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. 3And everyone having this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

4Everyone committing sin also commits lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5And you know that He appeared, so that He might take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6Anyone abiding in Him does not sin; anyone sinning has not seen Him, nor has he known Him.

7Little children,b let no one lead you astray; the one practicing righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8The one practicing sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this reason the Son of God was revealed, so that He might destroy the works of the devil.

9Anyone having been born of God does not practice sin, because His seed abides in him, and he is not able to continue sinning, because he has been born of God. 10Through this, the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: anyone not practicing righteousness is not of God, and also the one not loving his brother.

Love One Another
(John 13:31-35; Romans 12:9-13)

11For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his works were evil, but those of his brother, righteous. 13And do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.

14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one not loving abides in death. 15Everyone hating his brother is a murderer; and you know that any murderer does not have eternal life abiding in him.

16By this we have known love, because He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17Now whoever might have the world’s goods, and might see his brother having need, and might close up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

18Little children, we should love not in word, nor in tongue, but in action and in truth. 19And by this we will know that we are of the truth, and we will assure our heart before Him, 20that if our heart should condemn us, that God is greater than our heart, and He knows all things.

21Beloved, if our heart should not condemn us, we have confidence toward God, 22and whatever we might ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and we do the things pleasing before Him. 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 gave the commandment to us. 24And the one keeping His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us: by the Spirit whom He has given to us.