BEHOLD, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called children of God! therefore the world knoweth us not,
because it knew him not. (2)Beloved, now are we the children of God,
and it is not yet evident what we shall be: but we know that when he
shall appear, we shall be like him; because we shall see him as he is.
(3)And every one who hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as
he is pure.
(4)Every one who committeth sin, committeth also a transgression of the
law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (5)And ye know that he
was manifested, that he might take away our sins; and in him there is
no sin. (6)Every one who abideth in him, doth not sin; every one who
sinneth hath not seen him, nor known him. (7)My dear children, let no
man deceive you: he who doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is
righteous: (8)he that practises sin is of the devil; for from the
beginning the devil sinneth. For this purpose the Son of God was
manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (9)Every one
who is born of God, doth not practise sin, because his seed abideth in
him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (10)By this the
children of God are manifestly seen, and the children of the devil.
Every one that doth not practise righteousness, is not of God, and he
that loveth not his brother.
(11)For this is the commandment which ye have heard from the beginning,
that we should love one another. (12)Not as Cain, who was of the wicked
one, and slew his brother: and wherefore did he slay him? Because his
own works were wicked, and those of his brother righteous.
(13)Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. (14)We know that we
are passed out of _a state of_ death into life, because we love the
brethren: he that loveth not his brother abideth in death. (15)Every
one who hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer
hath life eternal abiding in him.
(16)By this we have known the love _of Christ_, because for us he laid
down his own life: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
(17)But whosoever hath worldly abundance, and seeth his brother under
necessity, and shutteth his bowels of compassion against him, how
dwelleth the love of God in him? (18)My dear children, let us not love
in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth; (19)and hereby we know
that we are of the truth, and in his presence have this persuasion in
our hearts. (20)For should our heart condemn us, God is greater than
our heart, and knoweth all things. (21)Beloved, if our heart condemn us
not, we have confidence towards God. (22)And whatsoever we ask, we
receive from him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things
which are pleasing in his sight. (23)And this is his commandment, that
we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one
another, as he gave us commandment. (24)And he that keepeth his
commandments abideth in him, and he in him; and by this we know that he
abideth in us, from the Spirit which he hath given us.