1My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an •advocatea with the Father — Jesus Christ the Righteous One. 2He Himself is the •propitiationb for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.c

God’s Commands

3This is how we are sured that we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands.e 4The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” yet doesn't keep His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But whoever keeps His word,f truly in him the love of God is perfected.g This is how we know we are in Him:h 6The one who says he remains in Himi should •walk just as He walked.

7Dear friends, I am not writing you a new commandj but an old command that you have had from the beginning. The old command is the messagek you have heard. 8Yet I am writing you a new command, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing awayl and the true lightm is already shining.n

9The one who says he is in the light but hates his brothero is in the darkness until now. 10The one who loves his brotherp remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.q 11But the one who hates his brotherr is in the darkness, walks in the darkness,s and doesn’t know where he’s going,t because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Reasons for Writing

12I am writing to you, little children,

because your sins have been forgiven

because of Jesus’ name.u

13I am writing to you, fathers,

because you have come to know

the One who is from the beginning.v

I am writing to you, young men,

because you have had victory over the evil one.w

14I have written to you, children,

because you have come to know the Father.

I have written to you, fathers,

because you have come to know

the One who is from the beginning.

I have written to you, young men,

because you are strong,

God’s wordx remains in you,

and you have had victory over the evil one.

A Warning about the World

15Do not love the •worldy or the things that belong toz the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. 16For everything that belongs toaa the world — the lust of the flesh,ab the lust of the eyes,ac and the pridead in one’s lifestyle — is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17And the world with its lust is passing away,ae but the one who does God’s willaf remains forever.ag

The Last Hour

18Children, it is the last hour.ah And as you have heard, “Antichristai is coming,” even now many antichrists have come. We know from this that it is the last hour. 19They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us.

20But you have an anointingaj from the Holy One,ak and all of you have knowledge.al 21I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth. 22Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the •Messiah?am This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23No one who denies the Son can have the Father;an he who confesses the Son has the Father as well.ao

Remaining with God

24What you have heard from the beginning must remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Sonap and in the Father.aq 25And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.ar 26I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

27The anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, His anointing teaches you about all thingsas and is true and is not a lie; just as He has taught you, remain in Him.at

God’s Children

28So now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appearsau we may have boldness and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.av 29If you know that He is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is rightaw has been born of Him.ax