1 John 3
3
Children of God
1 #
Jn 1.12
See how much the Father has loved us! His love is so great that we are called God's children — and so, in fact, we are. This is why the world does not know us: it has not known God. 2My dear friends, we are now God's children, but it is not yet clear what we shall become. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is. 3Everyone who has this hope in Christ keeps himself pure, just as Christ is pure.
4Whoever sins is guilty of breaking God's law, because sin is a breaking of the law. 5#Jn 1.29You know that Christ appeared in order to take away sins,#3.5 sins; some manuscripts have our sins. and that there is no sin in him. 6So everyone who lives in union with Christ does not continue to sin; but whoever continues to sin has never seen him or known him.
7Let no one deceive you, my children! Whoever does what is right is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. 8Whoever continues to sin belongs to the Devil, because the Devil has sinned from the very beginning. The Son of God appeared for this very reason, to destroy what the Devil had done.
9None of those who are children of God continue to sin, for God's very nature is in them; and because God is their Father, they cannot continue to sin. 10This is the clear difference between God's children and the Devil's children: all who do not do what is right or do not love others are not God's children.
Love One Another
11 #
Jn 13.34
The message you heard from the very beginning is this: we must love one another. 12#Gen 4.8We must not be like Cain; he belonged to the Evil One and murdered his own brother Abel. Why did Cain murder him? Because the things he himself did were wrong, but the things his brother did were right.
13So do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the people of the world hate you. 14#Jn 5.24We know that we have left death and come over into life; we know it because we love our brothers and sisters. Whoever does not love is still under the power of death. 15All who hate others are murderers, and you know that murderers have not got eternal life in them. 16This is how we know what love is: Christ gave his life for us. We too, then, ought to give our lives for our brothers and sisters! 17Rich people who see a brother or sister in need, yet close their hearts against them, cannot claim that they love God. 18My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.
Courage before God
19This, then, is how we will know that we belong to the truth; this is how we will be confident in God's presence. 20If our conscience condemns us, we know that God is greater than our conscience and that he knows everything. 21And so, my dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have courage in God's presence. 22We receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23#Jn 13.34; 15.12, 17What he commands is that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as Christ commanded us. 24Those who obey God's commands live in union with God and God lives in union with them. And because of the Spirit that God has given us we know that God lives in union with us.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
1 John 3
3
1See what love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God. For this reason the world knows us not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved, now are we children of God, and what we shall be has not yet been manifested; we know that if it is manifested we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3And every one that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
4Every one that practises sin practises also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5And ye know that he has been manifested that he might take away our sins; and in him sin is not. 6Whoever abides in him, does not sin: whoever sins, has not seen him or known him. 7Children, let no man lead you astray; he that practises righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8He that practises sin is of the devil; for from the beginning the devil sins. To this end the Son of God has been manifested, that he might undo the works of the devil. 9Whoever has been begotten of God does not practise sin, because his seed abides in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been begotten of God. 10In this are manifest the children of God and the children of the devil. Whoever does not practise righteousness is not of God, and he who does not love his brother.
11For this is the message which ye have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another: 12not as Cain was of the wicked one, and slew his brother; and on account of what slew he him? because his works were wicked, and those of his brother righteous. 13Do not wonder, brethren, if the world hate you.
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15Every one that hates his brother is a murderer, and ye know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16Hereby we have known love, because he has laid down his life for us; and we ought for the brethren to lay down our lives. 17But whoso may have the world's substance, and see his brother having need, and shut up his bowels from him, how abides the love of God in him? 18Children, let us not love with word, nor with tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19And hereby we shall know that we are of the truth, and shall persuade our hearts before him —
20that if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 21Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness towards God, 22and whatsoever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments, and practise the things which are pleasing in his sight.
23And this is his commandment, that we believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and that we love one another, even as he has given us commandment. 24And he that keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given to us.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.