1 S ee how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.

See what great love the Father has for us that He would call us His children. And that is what we are. For this reason the people of the world do not know who we are because they did not know Him.

2 B eloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.

Dear friends, we are God’s children now. But it has not yet been shown to us what we are going to be. We know that when He comes again, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is.

3 E veryone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

The person who is looking for this to happen will keep himself pure because Christ is pure.

4 E veryone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.

The person who keeps on sinning is guilty of not obeying the Law of God. For sin is breaking the Law of God.

5 Y ou know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and in him is no sin.

You know that Christ came to take away our sins. There is no sin in Him.

6 W hoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him.

The person who lives by the help of Christ does not keep on sinning. The person who keeps on sinning has not seen Him or has not known Him.

7 L ittle children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

My children, let no one lead you in the wrong way. The man who does what is right, is right with God in the same way as Christ is right with God.

8 H e who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil.

The person who keeps on sinning belongs to the devil. The devil has sinned from the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.

9 W hoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can’t sin, because he is born of God.

No person who has become a child of God keeps on sinning. This is because the Holy Spirit is in him. He cannot keep on sinning because God is his Father.

10 I n this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother.

This is the way you can know who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil. The person who does not keep on doing what is right and does not love his brother does not belong to God.

11 F or this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;

This is what you have heard from the beginning, that we should love each other.

12 u nlike Cain, who was of the evil one, and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

Do not be like Cain. He was a child of the devil and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? It was because he did what was sinful and his brother did what was right.

13 D on’t be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

Do not be surprised if the world hates you, Christian brothers.

14 W e know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death.

We know we have passed from death into life. We know this because we love the Christians. The person who does not love has not passed from death into life.

15 W hoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.

A man who hates his brother is a killer in his heart. You know that life which lasts forever is not in one who kills.

16 B y this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

We know what love is because Christ gave His life for us. We should give our lives for our brothers.

17 B ut whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and closes his heart of compassion against him, how does the love of God remain in him?

What if a person has enough money to live on and sees his brother in need of food and clothing? If he does not help him, how can the love of God be in him?

18 M y little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.

My children, let us not love with words or in talk only. Let us love by what we do and in truth.

19 A nd by this we know that we are of the truth, and persuade our hearts before him,

This is how we know we are Christians. It will give our heart comfort for sure when we stand before Him.

20 b ecause if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

Our heart may say that we have done wrong. But remember, God is greater than our heart. He knows everything.

21 B eloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God;

Dear friends, if our heart does not say that we are wrong, we will have no fear as we stand before Him.

22 a nd whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

We will receive from Him whatever we ask if we obey Him and do what He wants.

23 T his is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded.

This is what He said we must do: Put your trust in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love each other. Christ told us to do this.

24 H e who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.

The person who obeys Christ lives by the help of God and God lives in him. We know He lives in us by the Holy Spirit He has given us.