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See what amazing love the Father has given us! Because of it, we are called children of God. And that's what we really are! The world doesn't know us because it didn't know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God. He still hasn't let us know what we will be. But we know that when Christ appears, we will be like him. That's because we will see him as he really is. 3 Christ is pure. All who hope to be like him make themselves pure. 4 Everyone who sins breaks the law. In fact, breaking the law is sin. 5 But you know that Christ came to take our sins away. And there is no sin in him. 6 No one who remains joined to him keeps on sinning. No one who keeps on sinning has seen him or known him.
7 Dear children, don't let anyone lead you astray. The person who does what is right is holy, just as Christ is holy. 8 The person who does what is sinful belongs to the devil. That's because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the devil's work. 9 Those who are God's children will not keep on sinning. God's very nature remains in them. They can't go on sinning. That's because they are God's children. 10 Here is how you can tell the difference between God's children and the devil's children. Anyone who doesn't do what is right isn't God's child. And anyone who doesn't love their brother or sister isn't God's child either.
11 From the beginning we have heard that we should love one another. 12 Don't be like Cain. He belonged to the evil one. He murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because the things Cain had done were wrong. But the things his brother had done were right. 13 My brothers and sisters, don't be surprised if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have left our old dead way of life. And we have entered into new life. We know this because we love one another. Anyone who doesn't love still lives in their old condition. 15 Anyone who hates their brother or sister is a murderer. And you know that no murderer has eternal life.
16 We know what love is because Jesus Christ gave his life for us. So we should give our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 Suppose someone sees a brother or sister in need and is able to help them. And suppose that person doesn't take pity on these needy people. Then how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, don't just talk about love. Put your love into action. Then it will truly be love.
19 Here's how we know that we hold to the truth. And here's how we put our hearts at rest, knowing that God is watching. 20 If our hearts judge us, we know that God is greater than our hearts. And he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not judge us, we can be bold with God. 22 And he will give us anything we ask. That's because we obey his commands. We do what pleases him. 23 God has commanded us to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ. He has also commanded us to love one another. 24 The one who obeys God's commands remains joined to him. And he remains joined to them. Here is how we know that God lives in us. We know it because of the Holy Spirit he gave us.
3:1–24 John described the difference between being God's children and being the devil's children. God's children are part of God's family and have received the Father's love. They confess their sins to God and don't continue to sin on purpose. Because they are joined to Jesus, they have God's nature. What they hope for most is to see Jesus as he really is. This will happen when Jesus returns to earth. Believers don't know exactly what eternal life will be like. But they know they will be like Jesus. Because of this they follow Jesus' example while they are alive on earth. This means that they love God, obey him and love others. Jesus sacrificed himself out of love for others. One way that believers show their love for others is by helping needy people. Their sense of right and wrong helps them to know if they are obeying God. That is what John meant about believers being judged by their heart. Believers don't need to feel unsure about belonging to God. The Holy Spirit lives inside them and helps them to be sure. The Spirit makes believers bold as they pray to God. The Spirit helps them to do what pleases God. People who follow the devil's example of doing sinful things are the devil's children. They aren't full of love for others. The way they treat others is based on hate. Cain was an example of this. John described hatred like murder. He did this to show how dangerous hate is. Not everyone who is full of hate kills people. But hate leads to people being treated badly instead of being cared for.