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I am writing this to you, my children, so that you will not sin; but if anyone does sin, we have someone who pleads with the Father on our behalf - Jesus Christ, the righteous one.
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And Christ himself is the means by which our sins are forgiven, and not our sins only, but also the sins of everyone.
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If we obey God's commands, then we are sure that we know him.
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If we say that we know him, but do not obey his commands, we are liars and there is no truth in us.
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But if we obey his word, we are the ones whose love for God has really been made perfect. This is how we can be sure that we are in union with God:
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if we say that we remain in union with God, we should live just as Jesus Christ did.
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My dear friends, this command I am writing you is not new; it is the old command, the one you have had from the very beginning. The old command is the message you have already heard.
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However, the command I now write you is new, because its truth is seen in Christ and also in you. For the darkness is passing away, and the real light is already shining.
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If we say that we are in the light, yet hate others, we are in the darkness to this very hour.