1 John 3

1 See what sort of love the Father has given 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. [a] 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. We know that if he is made known we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is. [b] 3 And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as that one is pure. [c]

4 Everyone who does sin also does lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. [d] 5 And you know that that one was made known so that he might take away the sins, and in him there is no sin. [e] 6 Everyone who remains in him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen him nor come to know him.

7 Little children, let no one lead you astray. The one who does righteousness is righteous, just as that one is righteous; 8 the one who does sin is of the Accuser, because from the beginning the Accuser sins. For this the Son of God was made known: so that he might destroy the works of the Accuser. [f] 9 Everyone who has been born of God does not do sin, because his seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. [g] 10 By this the children of God and the children of the Accuser are plain: everyone who does not do righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

11 Because this is the message that you heard from the beginning: that we should love one another — 12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slaughtered his brother. And for what did he slaughter him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. [h] 13 Do not marvel, brothers, if the world hates you. [i] 14 We know that we have crossed over out of death into life, because we love the brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. [j] 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has everlasting life remaining in him. [k] †

16 By this we have come to know love: that that one laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. [l] 17 But whoever has the livelihood of the world and sees his brother having need and shuts his inward parts against him — how does the love of God remain in him? [m] 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with the tongue, but in deed and truth.

19 And by this we will know that we are of the truth, and will persuade our heart before him — [n] 20 that if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things. [o] 21 Beloved, if the heart does not condemn us, we have boldness toward God, 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commands and do the things pleasing before him. 23 And this is his command: that we should trust the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he gave a command to us. [p] 24 And the one who keeps his commands remains in him, and he in him. And by this we know that he remains in us: from the Spirit whom he gave us.