⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.^{(A) 10} If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.^(B)

Christ Our Advocate

2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,^{(A) 2} and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.^(B)

3 ¹ See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ² Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he^[a] is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.^{(A) 3} And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Love One Another

¹¹ For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.^{(A) 12} We must not be like Cain, who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. ¹³ Do not be astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you.^{(B) 14} We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brothers and sisters. Whoever does not love abides in death.^{(C) 15} All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them.^{(D) 16} We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters.^{(E) 17} How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?^(F)

¹⁸ Little children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.^{(G) 19} And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him^{(H) 20} whenever our hearts condemn us, for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. ²¹ Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God, ²² and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.^(I)

²³ And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.^{(J) 24} All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.^(K)