1Behold, what manner of love the Father has lavished upon us - that we should be called the children of God! The reason the world does not recognize us is because it does not know Him. 2Dear friends, we are now the children of God, and what we shall be has not yet been revealed; but we do know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He really is. 3And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 4Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. 5But you also know that He came so that He might take away our sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6No one who abides in Him willfully continues to sin; whoever does willfully sin has neither seen, nor known Him.

7Dear children, do not let anyone deceive you: those that do what is right are righteous, even as He is righteous. 8Those that intentionally commit sin are of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God came was to destroy the works of the devil. 9Whoever is born of God will not continue to sin; because God’s seed (life) remains in him; and so he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born into the family, of God. 10In this way, the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: whoever does not do what is right is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother and sister. 11For this is the message that you heard from the beginning: that we should love one another. 12Not like Cain, who belonged to that wicked one, and murdered his brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's were righteous. 13Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14We have proof that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15Whoever hates his brother or sister is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. 16By this we perceive what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17But if someone has this world's goods (material wealth), sees a brother or sister in need, and shows no compassions for them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18My dear children, let us not love with words or lip-service, - but in actions and in truth.

19And by this we know that we are of the truth, and this shall put our hearts at rest in His presence: 20If our own heart (or guilty conscience) condemns us, we can be sure that God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything. 21Beloved friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, then we can have confidence before God.22And whatever we ask, we will receive from Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23And this is His commandment: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He commanded us. 24And those that keep His commands dwell in God, and God dwells in them. And by this we know that He dwells in us: we know it by the Spirit Whom He has given us.