First Epistle of John Chapter Three

3:1 Look how awesome the Creator’s love is for us that we would be considered God’s children – and that we are. For this reason, the world doesn’t understand us – because it doesn’t know Him.
3:2 Dear friends, now we are God’s children, but what we will be has not yet been made known to us - what will become of us. We know that when He becomes known, we will become like Him because we will see Him as He is.
3:3 And all who keep their hope focused upon Him purify themselves according to His purity.
3:4 All who transgress are wrong, as transgression is iniquity.
3:5 You know that he appeared in order to remove transgression and no transgressions occur within him.
3:6 No one who abides with Him transgresses; no one who transgresses sees Him or knows Him.
3:7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you. One who practices devotion is devoted, just as he is devoted.
3:8 One who transgresses is wicked, and the wicked have transgressed from the beginning. The Representative of God appears for this purpose: To subvert the activities of wickedness.
3:9 One who is born of God doesn’t practice wickedness; because His seed lives within him and he cannot transgress because he is born from God.
3:10 From this the children of God and the children of wickedness are obvious. Anyone who doesn’t practice devotion is not of God. Nor is one who doesn’t love his brother.
3:11 For this is the message that you have heard from the start: That we should love each other.
3:12 Don’t be like Cain, who was of wickedness and murdered his brother. Why did he murder him? Because his deeds were wicked and his brother's were devoted.
3:13 Don’t be surprised brothers, if the world hates you.
3:14 Know that we have risen from death into life because we love our brothers. One who doesn’t love is dead.
3:15 Anyone who hates his brother is a slayer of humanity and know that such a slayer cannot have eternal life dwelling within.
3:16 We can know love by this – that he gave his life for us and we should also give our lives for our brothers.
3:17 But one who has a worldly life and sees his brother in need and closes his heart towards him – how can the love of God dwell within him?
3:18 Dear children, let’s not love with word and tongue: But in deed and truth.
3:19 We know by this that we are of the truth and our hearts seek to please Him.
3:20 However our hearts may condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knows everything.
3:21 Dear friends, if our heart doesn’t condemn us, we are trusting in God.
3:22 And whatever we request, we receive from Him because we keep His instructions and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
3:23 And this is His instruction: That we should believe, in the name of His representative Jesus the Anointed of God [Messiah, Christ], and love each other as he instructed us.
3:24 One who follows His instructions dwells with Him and He with them. We know from this that He dwells with us through the Spirit whom He has given to us.