1 John 2:15-3:10

Holman Christian Standard Bible

A Warning about the World

¹⁵ Do not love the world^(A) or the things that belong to^[a] the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For everything that belongs to^[b] the world—the lust of the flesh,^(B) the lust of the eyes,^(C) and the pride^(D) in one’s lifestyle—is not from the Father, but is from the world. ¹⁷ And the world with its lust is passing away,^(E) but the one who does God’s will^(F) remains forever.^(G)

The Last Hour

¹⁸ Children, it is the last hour.^(H) And as you have heard, “Antichrist^(I) is coming,” even now many antichrists have come. We know from this that it is the last hour. ¹⁹ They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us.

²⁰ But you have an anointing^(J) from the Holy One,^(K) and all of you have knowledge.^{[c] 21} I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth. ²² Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Messiah?^(L) This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son. ²³ No one who denies the Son can have the Father;^(M) he who confesses the Son has the Father as well.^(N)

Remaining with God

²⁴ What you have heard from the beginning must remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son^(O) and in the Father.^{(P) 25} And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.^{(Q) 26} I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

²⁷ The anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, His anointing teaches you about all things^(R) and is true and is not a lie; just as He has taught you, remain in Him.^(S)

God’s Children

²⁸ So now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears^(T) we may have boldness and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.^{(U) 29} If you know that He is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right^(V) has been born of Him.^(W) 3 ¹ Look at how great a love^[d] the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know Him. ² Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed.^(X) We know that when He appears, we will be like Him^(Y) because we will see Him as He is.^{(Z) 3} And everyone who has this hope^(AA) in Him purifies himself just as He is pure.^(AB)

⁴ Everyone who commits sin also breaks the law;^[e] sin is the breaking of law. ⁵ You know that He was revealed so that He might take away sins,^[f](AC) and there is no sin in Him.^{(AD) 6} Everyone who remains in Him^(AE) does not sin;^[g](AF) everyone who^[h] sins has not seen Him or known Him.

⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you! The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous. ⁸ The one who commits^[i] sin is of the Devil, for the Devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God^(AG) was revealed^(AH) for this purpose: to destroy the Devil’s works. ⁹ Everyone who has been born of God^(AI) does not sin,^[j] because His^[k] seed^(AJ) remains in him; he is not able to sin,^[l] because he has been born of God. ¹⁰ This is how God’s children—and the Devil’s children—are made evident.

The Command to Love

Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother.^(AK)