1 John 2:1-11 - Keeping The New Commandment
1 My dear children, I am writing you this so that you may not sin; yet if anyone ever sins, we have One who pleads our case with the Father, Jesus Christ, One who is righteous. 2 And He is Himself the atoning sacrifice for our sins; and not for ours alone, but also for the whole world.
3 By this we can be sure that we know Him -- if we practice obedience to His commands. 4 Whoever says, "I know Him," but does not practice obedience to His commands is a liar, and there is no truth in his heart; 5 but whoever practices obedience to His message really has a perfect love of God in his heart. By this we can be sure that we are in union with Him: 6 Whoever claims, "I am always in union with Him," ought to live as He lived.
7 Dearly beloved, I am not writing you a new command, but an old one that you have had from the beginning. That old command is the message that you have heard. 8 Yet it is a new command that I am writing you; it is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
9 Whoever claims to be in the light, and yet continues to hate his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever continues to love his brother is always in the light, and he is no hindrance to others. 11 But whoever continues to hate his brother is in darkness and is living in darkness, and he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.