See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to
this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s
children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for
we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.

Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take
away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning
does not know him or understand who he is.

Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even
as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since
the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not
make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.
So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does
not love other believers does not belong to God.