GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New International Version NIV
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.
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Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
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.
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The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
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.
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No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of 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.
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This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
11 The message that you have heard from the beginning is to love each other.
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For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
12 Don't be like Cain. He was a child of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain murder his brother? Because the things Cain did were evil and the things his brother did had God's approval.
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Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.
13 Brothers and sisters, don't be surprised if the world hates you.
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Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love other believers. The person who doesn't grow in love remains in death.
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We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.
15 Everyone who hates another believer is a murderer, and you know that a murderer doesn't have eternal life.
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Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
16 We understand what love is when we realize that Christ gave his life for us. That means we must give our lives for other believers.
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This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
17 Now, suppose a person has enough to live on and notices another believer in need. How can God's love be in that person if he doesn't bother to help the other believer?
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If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.