1Behold, how great is the love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; and so we are. The world does not know us, because it did not know him. 2Beloved, now we are the sons of God; and what we shall be has not yet been disclosed: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3And every man who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. 4Whoever commits sin practices lawlessness: for sin is lawlessness. 5And you know that he was revealed to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6Whoever abides in him does not sin: no one who sins has either seen him or known him. 7Little children, let no man deceive you: he who does right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this reason the Son of God was revealed, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9No one who is born of God practices sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12Do not be like Cain, who was of the wicked one, and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's were righteous. 13Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 15Whoever hates his brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18My little children, let us not love in word or in speech; but in deed and in truth. 19And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him, 20Whenever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, then we have confidence toward God; 22And whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23And this is his commandment, That we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he commanded us. 24And he who keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.