₁See how much the Father has loved us! His love is so great that we are called God's children — and so, in fact, we are. This is why the world does not know us: it has not known God. ₂My dear friends, we are now God's children, but it is not yet clear what we shall become. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is. ₃Everyone who has this hope in Christ keeps himself pure, just as Christ is pure.

₄Whoever sins is guilty of breaking God's law, because sin is a breaking of the law. ₅You know that Christ appeared in order to take away sins, and that there is no sin in him. ₆So everyone who lives in union with Christ does not continue to sin; but whoever continues to sin has never seen him or known him.

₇Let no one deceive you, my children! Whoever does what is right is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.