If we claim to be already free from sin, we lead ourselves astray and the truth has no place in our hearts.

and He is an atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

But whoever obeys His Message, in him love for God has in very deed reached perfection. By this we can know that we are in Him.

And yet I *am* giving you a new command, for such it really is, so far as both He and you are concerned: because the darkness is now passing away and the light, the true light, is already beginning to shine.

I am writing to you, dear children, because for His sake your sins are forgiven you.

Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If any one loves the world, there is no love in his heart for the Father.

For the things in the world--the cravings of the earthly nature, the cravings of the eyes, the show and pride of life--they all come, not from the Father, but from the world.

And the world, with its cravings, is passing away, but he who does God's will continues for ever.

They have gone forth from our midst, but they did not really belong to us; for had they belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they left us that it might be manifest that professed believers do not all belong to us.

As for you, you have an anointing from the holy One and have perfect knowledge.

As for you, let the teaching which you have received from the very beginning continue in your hearts. If that teaching does continue in your hearts, you also will continue to be in union with the Son and with the Father.

And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him remains within you, and there is no need for any one to teach you. But since His anointing gives you instruction in all things--and is true and is no falsehood--you are continuing in union with Him even as it has taught you to do.

See what marvellous love the Father has bestowed upon us--that we should be called God's children: and that is what we are. For this reason the world does not recognize us--because it has not known Him.

Every one who is guilty of sin is also guilty of violating Law; for sin is the violation of Law.

He who is habitually guilty of sin is a child of the Devil, because the Devil has been a sinner from the very beginning. The Son of God appeared for the purpose of undoing the work of the Devil.

For this is the Message you have heard from the beginning--that we are to love one another.

As for us, we know that we have already passed out of death into Life--because we love our brother men. He who is destitute of love continues dead.

We know what love is--through Christ's having laid down His life on our behalf; and in the same way we ought to lay down our lives for our brother men.

and whatever we ask for we obtain from Him, because we obey His commands and do the things which are pleasing in His sight.

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but put the spirits to the test to see whether they are from God; for many false teachers have gone out into the world.

As for you, dear children, you are God's children, and have successfully resisted them; for greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

Dear friends, let us love one another; for love has its origin in God, and every one who loves has become a child of God and is beginning to know God.

God's love for us has been manifested in that He has sent His only Son into the world so that we may have Life through Him.

This is love indeed--we did not love God, but He loved us and sent His Son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

And, as for us, we know the love which God has for us, and we confide in it. God is love, and he who continues to love continues in union with God, and God continues in union with him.

Love has in it no element of fear; but perfect love drives away fear, because fear involves pain, and if a man gives way to fear, there is something imperfect in his love.