III.  Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. For this cause the world knows not us, because it knew not him.

²Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it was never yet manifested what we shall be. We know that if it shall be manifested, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

³And every one, that has this hope on him, purifies himself even as he is pure.

⁴Every one that commits sin also commits transgression of law; and sin is transgression of law.

⁵And ye know that he was manifested that he might take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

⁶Every one that abides in him sins not; whoever sins has not seen him, neither has known him.

⁷Little children, let no one deceive you. He that does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

⁸He that commits sin is of the Devil; because the Devil sins from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the Devil.

⁹Whoever has been begotten of God does not commit sin; because his seed abides in him; and he can not sin, because he has been begotten of God.

¹⁰In this are manifest the children of God, and the children of the Devil. Every one that does not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother;

¹¹because this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another

¹²Not as Cain was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And wherefore did he slay him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

¹³Wonder not, brethren, if the world hates you.

¹⁴We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He that loves not his brother abides in death.

¹⁵Every one that hates his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

¹⁶In this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

¹⁷But whoever has the world's sustenance, and sees his brother having need, and shuts up his pity from him, how abides the love of God in him?

¹⁸Little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

¹⁹And in this we shall know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

²⁰Because if our heart accuse us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

²¹Beloved, if our heart accuse us not, we have confidence toward God.

²²And whatever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

²³And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and should love one another, as he gave us commandment.

²⁴And he that keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in him. And in this we know that he abides in us, from the Spirit which he gave us.