1
Consider this: The Father has given us his love. He loves us so much that we are actually called God's dear children. And that's what we are. For this reason the world doesn't recognize us, and it didn't recognize him either.
2
Dear friends, now we are God's children. What we will be isn't completely clear yet. We do know that when Christ appears we will be like him because we will see him as he is.
3
So all people who have this confidence in Christ keep themselves pure, as Christ is pure.
4
Those who live sinful lives are disobeying God. Sin is disobedience.
5
You know that Christ appeared in order to take away our sins. He isn't sinful.
6
Those who live in Christ don't go on sinning. Those who go on sinning haven't seen or known Christ.
7
Dear children, don't let anyone deceive you. Whoever does what God approves of has God's approval as Christ has God's approval.
8
The person who lives a sinful life belongs to the devil, because the devil has been committing sin since the beginning. The reason that the Son of God appeared was to destroy what the devil does.
9
Those who have been born from God don't live sinful lives. What God has said lives in them, and they can't live sinful lives. They have been born from God.
10
This is the way God's children are distinguished from the devil's children. Everyone who doesn't do what is right or love other believers isn't God's child.
11
The message that you have heard from the beginning is to love each other.