1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins,we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
2 AndHe Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only butalso for the whole world.
The Test of Knowing Him
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is aliar, and the truth is not in him.
5 Butwhoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfectedin him. By this we know that we are in Him.
6 He who says he abides in Himought himself also to walk just as He walked.
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have hadfrom the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.
8 Again,a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you,because the darkness is passing away, andthe true light is already shining.
9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.
10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, andthere is no cause for stumbling in him.
11 But he whohates his brother is in darkness andwalks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Their Spiritual State
12 I write to you, little children,
# Becauseyour sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
13 I write to you, fathers,
# Because you have known Himwhoisfrom the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
Because you have overcome the wicked one.
I write to you, little children,
# Because you haveknown the Father.
14 I have written to you, fathers,
Because you have known Himwhoisfrom the beginning.
I have written to you, young men,
# Becauseyou are strong, and the word of God abides in you,
And you have overcome the wicked one.
Do Not Love the World
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world.If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all thatisin the world—the lust of the flesh,the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 Andthe world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Deceptions of the Last Hour
18 Little children,it is the last hour; and as you have heard thatthe Antichrist is coming,even now many antichrists have come, by which we knowthat it is the last hour.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; forif they had been of us, they would have continued with us; buttheywentoutthat they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
20 Butyou have an anointingfrom the Holy One, andyou know all things.
21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is a liar but he who denies thatJesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
23 Whoever denies the Son does not have theFather either;he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
Let Truth Abide in You
24 Therefore let that abide in youwhich you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you,you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
25 And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.
26 These things I have written to you concerning those whotrytodeceive you.
27 But theanointing which you have received from Him abides in you, andyou do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointingteaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
The Children of God
28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may haveconfidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
29 If you know that He is righteous, you know thateveryone who practices righteousness is born of Him.