3:4 Everyone who practices sin18 also practices lawlessness;19 indeed,20 sin is lawlessness. 3:5 And you know that Jesus21 was revealed to take away22 sins, and in him there is no sin. 3:6 Everyone who resides23 in him does not sin;24 everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him. 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you: the one who practices righteousness25 is righteous, just as Jesus26 is righteous. 3:8 The one who practices sin is of the devil,27 because the devil has been sinning28 from the beginning. For this purpose29 the Son of God was revealed: to destroy30 the works of the devil. 3:9 Everyone who is fathered31 by God does not practice sin,32 because33 God’s34 seed35 resides in him, and thus36 he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God. 3:10 By this37 the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: everyone who does not practice righteousness38—the one who does not love his fellow Christian39—is not of God.
God Is Love, So We Must Love One Another3:11 For40 this is the gospel message41 that you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another,42 3:12 not like Cain43 who was of the evil one and brutally44 murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous.
3:13 Therefore do not be surprised, brothers and sisters,45 if the world hates you.46 3:14 We know that47 we have crossed over48 from death to life49 because50 we love our fellow Christians.51 The one who does not love remains in death.52 3:15 Everyone who hates his fellow Christian53 is a murderer,54 and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing55 in him. 3:16 We have come to know love by this:56 that Jesus57 laid down58 his life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians.59 3:17 But whoever has the world’s possessions60 and sees his fellow Christian61 in need and shuts off his compassion against him, how can the love of God62 reside63 in such a person?64
3:18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth.65 3:19 And by this66 we will know that we are of the truth and will convince67 our conscience68 in his presence,69 3:20 that70 if our conscience condemns71 us, that72 God is greater than our conscience and knows all things. 3:21 Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God, 3:22 and73 whatever we ask we receive from him, because74 we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing to him. 3:23 Now75 this is his commandment:76 that we believe77 in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he gave78 us the commandment. 3:24 And the person who keeps his commandments resides79 in God,80 and God81 in him. Now by this82 we know that God83 resides in us: by the Spirit he has given us.