Dear friends, we are God's children now; it has not yet been disclosed what we are to be. We know that if he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

We are God's children. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not a child of God will not listen to us. In this way we can tell what is inspired by truth from what is inspired by error.

Think what love the Father has had for us, in letting us be called God's children, for that is what we are. This is why the world does not know what we are??ecause it has never come to know him.

We know that no child of God commits sin, but the fact that he is God's child protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him.

This is how we can be sure that we love the children of God: it is by loving God and obeying his commands.

From that we can be sure that we are on the side of the truth, and satisfy our consciences in God's sight,

No one who is a child of God commits sin, for God's nature remains in his heart, and he cannot sin, because he is a child of God.

You are children of God, dear children, and you have been victorious over these men, for he who is in our hearts is greater than he who is in the world.

If we accept the testimony of men, the testimony of God is stronger still; for the value of God's testimony lies in this, that he has testified to his Son.

So we know and believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever continues to love keeps in union with God, and God with him.

God's love for us has been revealed in this way??hat God has sent his only Son into the world, to let us have life through him.