^aMy little children (believers, dear ones) , I am ^bwriting you these things so that you will not sin and violate God’s law. And if anyone sins, ^cwe have an ^dAdvocate who will intercede for us with the Father: Jesus Christ the righteous the upright, the just One, who conforms to the Father’s will in every way—purpose, thought, and action. 2 And He that same Jesus is ^athe propitiation for our sins the atoning sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God that would otherwise be directed at us because of our sinful nature—our worldliness, our lifestyle; and not for ours alone, but also ^bfor the sins of all believers throughout the whole world.

3 ^aAnd this is how we know daily, by experience that we have come to ^bknow Him to understand Him and be more deeply acquainted with Him: if we habitually ^ckeep focused on His precepts and obey His commandments (teachings) . 4 Whoever says, “^aI have come to ^bknow Him,” but does not habitually keep focused on His precepts and obey His commandments (teachings) , is a ^cliar, and ^dthe truth of the divine word is not in him. 5 But whoever habitually ^akeeps His word and obeys His precepts and treasures His message in its entirety, in him the ^blove of God has truly been perfected it is completed and has reached maturity. ^cBy this we know for certain that we are in Him: 6 whoever says he ^alives in Christ that is, whoever says he has accepted Him as God and Savior ^bought as a moral obligation to walk and conduct himself just as He walked and conducted Himself.

7 ^aBeloved, I am ^bnot writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had ^cfrom the beginning; the old commandment is the message which you have heard before from us. John 13:34, 35 8 On the other hand, I am writing ^aa new commandment to you, which is true and realized in Christ and in you, because ^bthe darkness of moral blindness is clearing away and ^cthe true Light the revelation of God in Christ is already shining. 9 The one who says he is in the Light in consistent fellowship with Christ and yet ¹habitually ^ahates (works against) his ^bbrother in Christ is in the darkness until now. 10 ^aThe one who ¹loves and unselfishly seeks the best for his believing brother lives in the Light, and in him there is no occasion for stumbling or offense he does not hurt the cause of Christ or lead others to sin. 11 But the one who habitually ^ahates (works against) his brother in Christ is in spiritual darkness and is ^bwalking in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has ^cblinded his eyes.

12 I am writing to you, ^alittle children (believers, dear ones) , because ^byour sins have been forgiven for His name’s sake you have been pardoned and released from spiritual debt through His name because you have confessed His name, believing in Him as Savior. 13 I am writing to you, fathers those believers who are spiritually mature, because you know Him ^awho has existed from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men those believers who are growing in spiritual maturity, because ^byou have been victorious and have overcome ^cthe evil one. I have written to you, children those who are new believers, those spiritually immature, because ^dyou have come to know the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him ^awho has existed from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are ^bstrong and vigorous, and the ^cword of God remains always in you, and ^dyou have been victorious over the evil one by accepting Jesus as Savior.

15 Do not love ^athe world of sin that opposes God and His precepts, nor the things that are in the world. ^bIf anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—^athe lust and sensual craving of the flesh and ^bthe lust and longing of the eyes and ^cthe boastful pride of life pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things—these do not come from the Father, but are from the world. 17 ^aThe world is passing away, and with it its lusts the shameful pursuits and ungodly longings; but the one who ^bdoes the will of God and carries out His purposes lives forever.

18 Children, ^ait is the last hour the end of this age; and just as you heard that the ^bantichrist is coming the one who will oppose Christ and attempt to replace Him, ^ceven now many antichrists (false teachers) have appeared, which confirms our belief that it is the last hour. 19 ^aThey went out from us seeming at first to be Christians, but they were not really of us because they were not truly born again and spiritually transformed; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out teaching false doctrine, ^bso that it would be clearly shown that none of them are of us. 20 But you have an ^aanointing from ^bthe Holy One you have been set apart, specially gifted and prepared by the Holy Spirit, and ^call of you know the truth because He teaches us, illuminates our minds, and guards us from error. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but ^abecause you do know it, and because no lie nothing false, no deception is ^bof the truth. 22 Who is the liar but ^athe one who denies that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) ? This is ^bthe antichrist the enemy and antagonist of Christ, the one who denies and consistently refuses to acknowledge the Father and the Son. 23 ^aWhoever denies and repudiates the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses and acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, let that remain in you keeping in your hearts that message of salvation which you heard ^afrom the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you too ^bwill remain in the Son and in the Father forever.

25 ^aThis is the promise which He Himself promised us—eternal life.

26 These things I have written to you with reference to those who are trying to ^adeceive you seducing you and leading you away from the truth and sound doctrine. 27 As for you, the ^aanointing the special gift, the preparation which you received from Him remains permanently in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But just as His anointing ^bteaches you giving you insight through the presence of the Holy Spirit about all things, and is ^ctrue and is not a lie, and just as His anointing has taught you, ¹you must remain in Him being rooted in Him, knit to Him.

28 Now, ^alittle children (believers, dear ones) , remain in Him with unwavering faith, so that when He ^bappears at His return, we may have perfect ^cconfidence and ^dnot be ashamed and shrink away from Him at His ^ecoming. 29 If you know that ^aHe is absolutely righteous, you know for certain that everyone who practices righteousness doing what is right and conforming to God’s will ^bhas been born of Him.