1 John 3

Children of God

1See what kind 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. 2Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he is revealed, we will be like him, because we will see him as he is. 3And everyone who has this hope in him purifies themselves, just as he is pure.

Sin and Righteousness

4Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5And you know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6Everyone who remains in him does not sin; everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him.

7Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8Whoever practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the works of the devil. 9Everyone who has been born of God does not practice sin, because God’s seed remains in them; and they are not able to sin, because they have been born of God. 10By this the children of God and the children of the devil are evident: everyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love a brother or sister.

Love One Another

11For this is the message that you heard from the beginning: that we should love one another. 12We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous.

13Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14We know that we have passed from death into life because we love the brothers and sisters. Whoever does not love remains in death. 15Everyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in them.

Love in Deed and Truth

16By this we have known love: he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters. 17But whoever has the goods of the world and sees a brother or sister in need and closes their heart against them, how can the love of God remain in that person? 18Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in deed and truth.

Confidence Before God

19By this we will know that we are of the truth, and we will reassure our hearts before him, 20whenever our heart condemns us, because God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God, 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what is pleasing before him.

23And this is his commandment: that we trust in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he gave us a commandment. 24The one who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he remains in us: by the Spirit whom he gave us.