2 ²⁸ And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 2 ²⁹ If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who does right is born of him.

3 ¹ See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 3 ² Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 ³ And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

3 ⁴ Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 3 ⁵ You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 3 ⁶ No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. 3 ⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous, as he is righteous. 3 ⁸ He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 3 ⁹ No one born of God commits sin; for God's nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. 3 ¹⁰ By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother.