1SEE how abundant the love of the Fa ther is toward us, for he has called us sons and made us: therefore the world does not know us because it did not know him. 2My beloved, now we are the sons of God, and as yet it has not been revealed what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be in his likeness; for we shall see him as he is. 3Let every man who has this hope in him purify himself, even as he is pure.

4Whoever commits sin commits evil: for all sin is evil. 5And you know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6Whoever abides in him does not sin: and whoever sins has not seen him, neither known him. 7My children, let no man deceive you; he who does righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. 8He who commits sin is of the devil; because the devil has been a sinner from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God appeared, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9Whoever is born of God does not commit sin because God’s seed is in him; and he cannot sin because he is born of God. 10In this the children of God can be distinguished from the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness and does not love his brother, does not belong to God.

11For this is the commandment that you have heard from the beginning, that you must love one another, 12Not as Cain, who belonged to the wicked one and slew his brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own works were evil, and those of his brother were righteous.

13So be not surprised, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16By this we know his love for us, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for our brethren. 17Whoever has worldly goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts his mercy from him, how can the love of God dwell in him? 18My children, let us not love one another in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19And by this we shall know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before he comes. 20For if our hearts condemns us, how much more, then, will God who is greater than our hearts and knows all things. 21My beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, then we have confidence before God. 22And whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing to him.

23And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he has commanded us. 24Whosoever keeps his commandments will be guarded by him, and he will dwell in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.