1My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One. 2And He is the Propitiation (atoning Sacrifice) for our sins; and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the entire world.

3And we can be assured that we know Him, and are one of His, if we obey His commandments. 4Whoever says, “I know Him.”, but does not do what He commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5But whoever obeys His word, the love of God is truly completed in him. This is how we know that we are in Him: 6Whoever claims to abide in Him should live as He, Himself, lived. 7Brothers and sisters, I am not writing any new commandment for you, but an old one which you have had from the beginning. This old commandment is the word which you have already heard. 8And yet, I am writing a new commandment to you, one of truth, which is seen in Him, and in you, as well, because the darkness is passing, and the true light is already shining. 9Anyone who claims that he is in this light, but hates his brother, is still in the darkness. 10Anyone that loves his brother and sister is living in that light, and there is no cause for stumbling in them. 11But if anyone hates his brother or sister, they are still in and walk in darkness, and know not where they go, because that darkness has blinded them.

12I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. 13I am writing to you, fathers, because you have known Him Who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one (Satan). I am writing to you, little children, because you know the Father. 14I have written unto you, fathers, because you know Him Who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men in the faith, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one. 15Do not love the world, nor anything that it offers. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not from the Father, but is of the world. 17And the world, and its passions and desires, shall pass away; but whoever does the will of God will live forever.

18Little children, it is the last hour (the period between the first and second coming of Christ); and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now there are many antichrists; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19These people (those that had been part of the church, but denied the incarnation of Christ, and His relationship to the Father – essentially followers of the antichrist) went out from us, but they were never really part of us. For if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, and their departure reveals that they never really belonged to us. 20But you have an unction (an anointing) from the Holy One, and you know the truth. 21I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and that no lie comes from the truth. 22Who is a liar? It is anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Any person who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. 23Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son also has the Father. 24Therefore, let what you have been taught from the beginning remain steadfast in you. If it does, you shall also remain in fellowship with the Son, and with the Father. 25And this is what He has promised us - eternal life. 26I have written these things to warn you about those who would try to lead you astray. 27But the anointing which you have received from Him remains in you, and you do not need any man to teach you. That same anointing teaches you all truth, and that anointing is real; and just as it has taught you, you shall remain in Him.

28And now, dear children, continue to abide in Him, that, when He appears, we may be confident, and unashamed before Him at His coming. 29If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him, and is His child.