1 John 3:1-3, 5, 9, 11, 16, 18

The Father has loved us so much that we are called children of God. And we really are his children. The reason the people in the world do not know us is that they have not known him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and we have not yet been shown what we will be in the future. But we know that when Christ comes again, we will be like him, because we will see him as he really is. Christ is pure, and all who have this hope in Christ keep themselves pure like Christ.

You know that Christ came to take away sins and that there is no sin in Christ.

Those who are God’s children do not continue sinning, because the new life from God remains in them. They are not able to go on sinning, because they have become children of God.

This is the teaching you have heard from the beginning: We must love each other.

This is how we know what real love is: Jesus gave his life for us. So we should give our lives for our brothers and sisters.

My children, we should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring.