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1Beloved, now we are 2children of God, and 3it has not appeared as yetwhat we will be. We know that when He 4appears, we will be 5like Him, because we will 6see Him just as He is.
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And everyone who hasthis7hope fixed on Him 8purifieshimself, just as He is pure.
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Everyone who practicessinalsopracticeslawlessness; and 9sin is lawlessness.
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You know that He 10appeared in order to 11takeawaysins; and 12in Him there is nosin.
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No*one who abides in Him 13sins; no*one who sins has seen Him or14knows Him.
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15Littlechildren, make sure noone16deceives you; 17the one who practicesrighteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;
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the one who practicessin is 18of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. 19The Son of God20appeared for this purpose, 21to destroy the works of the devil.
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No*one who is 22born of God23practicessin, because His seedabides in him; and he cannot*sin, because he is born of God.
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By this the 24children of God and the 25children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practicerighteousness is not of God, nor the one who 26does not love his 27brother.
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28For this is the message29which you have heard from the beginning, 30that we should loveoneanother;
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not as 31Cain, who was of 32the evilone and slew his brother. And for whatreason did he slay him? Because33his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous.