1 John 3
See awhat kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called bchildren of God; and so we are. The reason why cthe world does not know us is that dit did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are aGod’s children bnow, and what we will be chas not yet appeared; but we know that dwhen he appears ewe shall be like him, because fwe shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who athus hopes in him bpurifies himself as he is pure.
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; asin is lawlessness. 5 You know that ahe appeared in order to btake away sins, and cin him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; ano one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, alet no one deceive you. bWhoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 aWhoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was bto destroy the works of the devil. 9 aNo one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, anor is the one who bdoes not love his brother.
Love One Another
11 For athis is the message that you have heard from the beginning, bthat we should love one another. 12 We should not be like aCain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? bBecause his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, athat the world hates you. 14 We know that awe have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 aEveryone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that bno murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16 By this we know love, that ahe laid down his life for us, and bwe ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But aif anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet bcloses his heart against him, chow does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not alove in word or talk but in deed and bin truth.
19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, aif our heart does not condemn us, bwe have confidence before God; 22 and awhatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and bdo what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, athat we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and blove one another, cjust as he has commanded us. 24 aWhoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And bby this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.