1 John 3:9-19

9 No one who is a child of God is habitually guilty of sin. A God-given germ of life remains in him, and he cannot habitually sin--because he is a child of God.

10 By this we can distinguish God's children and the Devil's children: no one who fails to act righteously is a child of God, nor he who does not love his brother man.

11 For this is the Message you have heard from the beginning--that we are to love one another.

12 We are not to resemble Cain, who was a child of the Evil one and killed his own brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own actions were wicked and his brother's actions righteous.

13 Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.

14 As for us, we know that we have already passed out of death into Life--because we love our brother men. He who is destitute of love continues dead.

15 Every one who hates his brother man is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has the Life of the Ages continuing in him.

16 We know what love is--through Christ's having laid down His life on our behalf; and in the same way we ought to lay down our lives for our brother men.

17 But if any one has this world's wealth and sees that his brother man is in need, and yet hardens his heart against him--how can such a one continue to love God?

18 Dear children, let us not love in words only nor with the lips, but in deed and in truth.

19 And in this way we shall come to know that we are loyal to the truth, and shall satisfy our consciences in His presence