1 John 2:15-3:10

New International Version

On Not Loving the World

¹⁵ Do not love the world or anything in the world.^(A) If anyone loves the world, love for the Father^[a] is not in them.^{(B) 16} For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh,^(C) the lust of the eyes,^(D) and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away,^(E) but whoever does the will of God^(F) lives forever.

Warnings Against Denying the Son

¹⁸ Dear children, this is the last hour;^(G) and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming,^(H) even now many antichrists have come.^(I) This is how we know it is the last hour. ¹⁹ They went out from us,^(J) but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.^(K)

²⁰ But you have an anointing^(L) from the Holy One,^(M) and all of you know the truth.^{[b](N) 21} I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it^(O) and because no lie comes from the truth. ²² Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.^{(P) 23} No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.^(Q)

²⁴ As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning^(R) remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.^{(S) 25} And this is what he promised us—eternal life.^(T)

²⁶ I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.^{(U) 27} As for you, the anointing^(V) you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things^(W) and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.^(X)

God’s Children and Sin

²⁸ And now, dear children,^(Y) continue in him, so that when he appears^(Z) we may be confident^(AA) and unashamed before him at his coming.^(AB)

²⁹ If you know that he is righteous,^(AC) you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.^(AD)

3 See what great love^(AE) the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!^(AF) And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.^{(AG) 2} Dear friends,^(AH) now we are children of God,^(AI) and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,^[c](AJ) we shall be like him,^(AK) for we shall see him as he is.^{(AL) 3} All who have this hope in him purify themselves,^(AM) just as he is pure.^(AN)

⁴ Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.^{(AO) 5} But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.^(AP) And in him is no sin.^{(AQ) 6} No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.^(AR) No one who continues to sin has either seen him^(AS) or known him.^(AT)

⁷ Dear children,^(AU) do not let anyone lead you astray.^(AV) The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.^{(AW) 8} The one who does what is sinful is of the devil,^(AX) because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God^(AY) appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.^{(AZ) 9} No one who is born of God^(BA) will continue to sin,^(BB) because God’s seed^(BC) remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. ¹⁰ This is how we know who the children of God^(BD) are and who the children of the devil^(BE) are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love^(BF) their brother and sister.^(BG)