1 John

1 John

What We Have Seen and Touched

That which was from the beginning—

what we have heard,

what we have seen with our eyes,

what we have looked at and touched with our hands—

concerning the Word of Life—

this life was made visible.

We have seen it, and we testify to it.

We announce to you the age-enduring life

that was with the Father

and was revealed to us.

What we have seen and heard

we also announce to you,

so that you too may share in partnership with us.

And truly, our partnership is with the Father

and with His Son, Jesus the Anointed One.

We write these things to you

so that our joy may be complete.

Walk in the Light

This is the message we have heard from Him

and announce to you:

God is light,

and in Him there is no darkness at all.

If we say we share in partnership with Him

but walk in the darkness,

we lie and do not live out the truth.

But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light,

we have partnership with one another,

and the blood of Jesus His Son

cleanses us from all wrongdoing.

Confession and Cleansing

If we say we have no wrongdoing,

we deceive ourselves,

and the truth is not in us.

But if we confess our wrongs,

He is trustworthy and just—

to forgive us and cleanse us

from all that is not right.

If we say we have not done wrong,

we make Him out to be a liar,

and His word is not in us.

———

The Advocate for Us

My little children,

I write these things to you so that you will not go astray.

But if anyone does,

we have an Advocate with the Father—

Jesus the Anointed One, the Righteous One.

He is the atoning one for our wrongdoings—

and not only for ours,

but also for the whole world.

To Know Him Is to Walk Like Him

This is how we know that we have come to know Him:

if we keep His commands.

The one who says, “I know Him,”

but does not keep His commands,

is not being truthful,

and the truth is not in them.

But if anyone keeps His word,

the love of God is truly made complete in them.

This is how we know we are in Him:

Whoever claims to live in Him

must walk as Jesus walked.

A New Yet Old Command

Beloved, I am not writing a new command,

but an old one that you have had from the beginning.

This old command is the word you have already heard.

Yet I am writing a new command—

its truth is seen in Him and in you,

because the darkness is passing away

and the true light is already shining.

Whoever claims to be in the light

but hates a brother or sister

is still in the darkness.

Whoever loves their brother or sister

lives in the light,

and there is no stumbling in them.

But whoever hates another

is in the darkness,

and walks in the darkness,

not knowing where they are going,

because the darkness has blinded their eyes.

I Write to You…

I am writing to you, little children,

because your wrongs have been lifted through His name.

I am writing to you, parents,

because you have known the One who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young ones,

because you have overcome the evil one.

I have written to you, little children,

because you know the Father.

I have written to you, parents,

because you know the One who is from the beginning.

I have written to you, young ones,

because you are strong,

and the word of God lives in you,

and you have overcome the evil one.

Do Not Love the World’s Ways

Do not love the world

or the things in the world.

If anyone loves the world,

the love of the Father is not in them.

For everything in the world—

the craving of the flesh,

the craving of the eyes,

and the pride in one’s achievements or possessions—

is not from the Father,

but is from the world.

And the world is passing away

with all its cravings,

but the one who does the will of God

remains forever.

Many Anti-Anointed Ones Have Come

Little children, it is the last hour.

And as you have heard that an anti-Anointed One is coming,

even now many have arisen.

This is how we know it is the final hour.

They went out from us,

but they were not truly of us.

If they had been,

they would have remained with us.

But their leaving made it clear

that not all belong to us.

But you have an anointing from the Sacred One,

and you all know the truth.

I do not write because you do not know the truth,

but because you do know it,

and because no lie comes from the truth.

Who Is the Liar?

Who is the liar?

It is the one who denies

that Jesus is the Anointed One.

Such a person is anti-Anointed—

denying both the Father and the Son.

No one who denies the Son has the Father;

whoever acknowledges the Son

has the Father also.

Remain in What You Heard

Let what you heard from the beginning

remain in you.

If it does,

you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.

And this is what He promised us:

age-enduring life.

I am writing these things to you

about those who are trying to lead you astray.

But the anointing you received from Him remains in you,

and you do not need anyone to teach you—

instead, His anointing teaches you about all things.

It is true and not a lie.

And just as it has taught you,

remain in Him.

Children of the Light

And now, little children, remain in Him,

so that when He appears,

we may be confident

and not shrink back from Him in shame.

If you know that He is righteous,

you know that everyone who practices what is right

has been born of Him.

———

Look at the Love

See what kind of love

the Father has given us—

that we should be called children of God!

And that is what we are.

The reason the world does not recognize us

is that it did not recognize Him.

Beloved, now we are children of God,

and what we will be has not yet been revealed.

But we know that when He appears,

we will be like Him,

because we will see Him as He is.

Everyone who has this hope in Him

purifies themselves,

just as He is pure.

Turn From Lawlessness

Everyone who lives in wrongdoing

also practices lawlessness—

and wrongdoing is lawlessness.

You know that He appeared

to lift away sins,

and in Him there is no sin.

No one who remains in Him

keeps on sinning.

No one who continues in sin

has seen Him or known Him.

Little children,

let no one mislead you:

the one who does what is right

is righteous,

just as He is righteous.

The one who practices wrongdoing

belongs to the accuser,

for the accuser has been sinning from the beginning.

The Son of God appeared for this reason:

to destroy the works of the accuser.

No one born of God

continues in sin,

because God’s seed remains in them.

They cannot keep sinning,

because they have been born of God.

This is how the children of God

and the children of the accuser

are revealed:

Whoever does not do what is right

is not from God—

and neither is the one

who does not love their brother or sister.

The Message From the Beginning

For this is the message

you heard from the beginning:

that we should love one another.

Do not be like Cain,

who belonged to the evil one

and murdered his brother.

And why did he do it?

Because his own deeds were evil

and his brother’s were righteous.

Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters,

if the world hates you.

We know that we have passed from death into life

because we love one another.

Whoever does not love

remains in death.

Anyone who hates a brother or sister

is a murderer—

and you know that no murderer

has age-enduring life residing in them.

Love in Deed and Truth

This is how we know what love is:

Jesus laid down His life for us,

and we ought to lay down our lives

for our brothers and sisters.

If anyone has material goods

and sees a sibling in need

but closes their heart against them,

how does the love of God remain in that person?

Little children,

let us not love with words or talk alone,

but with action and truth.

This is how we know that we belong to the truth

and can reassure our hearts before Him—

even if our hearts condemn us,

God is greater than our hearts,

and He knows everything.

Beloved,

if our hearts do not condemn us,

we have confidence before God

and receive from Him whatever we ask—

because we keep His commands

and do what pleases Him.

Believe and Love

And this is His command:

that we trust in the name of His Son, Jesus the Anointed One,

and love one another

just as He commanded us.

The one who keeps His commands

remains in Him, and He in them.

And this is how we know

that He remains in us:

by the Spirit He has given us.

———

Test the Spirits

Beloved,

do not trust every spirit,

but test the spirits

to see whether they are from God—

because many false prophets

have gone out into the world.

This is how you recognize the Spirit of God:

Every spirit that acknowledges

Jesus the Anointed One

has come in the flesh

is from God.

But every spirit

that does not acknowledge Jesus

is not from God.

This is the spirit of the anti-Anointed One,

which you have heard is coming

and is now already in the world.

You, little children, are from God

and have overcome them—

because the One who is in you

is greater than the one

who is in the world.

They are from the world.

That is why they speak from the world’s perspective,

and the world listens to them.

We are from God.

Whoever knows God listens to us;

whoever is not from God does not listen to us.

This is how we recognize

the Spirit of truth

and the spirit of deception.

Love One Another

Beloved,

let us love one another—

because love is from God,

and everyone who loves

has been born of God and knows God.

Whoever does not love

does not know God,

because God is love.

This is how God’s love was revealed among us:

He sent His one and only Son into the world

so that we might live through Him.

This is love—

not that we loved God,

but that He loved us

and sent His Son as the one who lifts away our sins.

Beloved,

if God so loved us,

we also ought to love one another.

No one has ever seen God.

But if we love one another,

God remains in us,

and His love is made complete in us.

He Lives in Us

This is how we know that we remain in Him

and He in us:

He has given us of His Spirit.

And we have seen and testify

that the Father has sent the Son

to be the Rescuer of the world.

Whoever acknowledges

that Jesus is the Son of God,

God remains in them,

and they in God.

And we have come to know and trust

the love that God has for us.

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

God is love.

Whoever remains in love

remains in God,

and God in them.

This is how love is made complete among us,

so that we may have confidence

on the day of restoration:

In this world, we are like Him.

There is no fear in love.

Perfect love casts out fear,

because fear has to do with punishment.

The one who fears

has not yet been made complete in love.

We love

because He first loved us.

Love God, Love Your Sibling

If anyone says, “I love God,”

but hates a brother or sister,

they are not being truthful.

For whoever does not love

a sibling whom they have seen

cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

And this is the command we have from Him:

Whoever loves God

must also love their brother and sister.

———

Born to Love and Overcome

Everyone who trusts

that Jesus is the Anointed One

has been born of God.

And everyone who loves the One who gives birth

also loves the one born of Him.

This is how we know

that we love God’s children:

when we love God

and keep His commands.

For this is love for God:

to keep His commands—

and His commands are not burdensome.

Because everyone who has been born of God

overcomes the world.

And this is the victory

that has overcome the world—

our trust.

Who is the one who overcomes the world?

Only the one who trusts

that Jesus is the Son of God.

Water, Blood, and Spirit

This is the One who came

by water and blood—Jesus the Anointed One—

not by water only,

but by water and blood.

And the Spirit is the One who testifies,

because the Spirit is truth.

There are three that testify:

the Spirit,

the water,

and the blood—

and these three are in agreement.

If we accept human testimony,

God’s testimony is greater—

because it is the testimony of God

that He has given about His Son.

Whoever trusts in the Son of God

has this testimony within themselves.

Whoever does not trust God

has made Him out to be untrustworthy,

because they have not believed the testimony

God has given about His Son.

The Gift of Age-Enduring Life

And this is the testimony:

God has given us age-enduring life,

and this life is in His Son.

Whoever has the Son has life.

Whoever does not have the Son of God

does not have life.

I have written these things to you

who trust in the name of the Son of God,

so that you may know

that you have age-enduring life.

Confidence in Prayer

This is the confidence we have in approaching Him:

that if we ask anything according to His will,

He hears us.

And if we know that He hears us—

whatever we ask—

we know that we have what we asked of Him.

If anyone sees a sibling committing a wrongdoing

that does not lead to death,

they should pray,

and God will give life to that one.

There is wrongdoing that leads to death—

I am not saying you should pray about that.

All wrongdoing is missing the mark,

but not all leads to death.

Kept From the Evil One

We know that everyone born of God

does not continue in sin,

but the One who was born of God protects them,

and the evil one does not touch them.

We know that we are of God,

and the whole world lies in the grip

of the evil one.

And we know that the Son of God has come

and has given us understanding,

so that we may know Him who is true.

And we are in Him who is true—

in His Son, Jesus the Anointed One.

He is the true God

and age-enduring life.

Little children,

keep yourselves away from idols.