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Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God;
and [such] we are.
For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
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Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be.
We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him;
for we shall see him even as he is.
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And every one that hath this hope [set] on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
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Every one that doeth sin doeth also lawlessness;
and sin is lawlessness.
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And ye know that he was manifested to take away sins;
and in him is no sin.
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Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither knoweth him.
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[My] little children, let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous:
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he that doeth sin is of the devil;
for the devil sinneth from the beginning.
To this end was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
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Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God.
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In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
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For this is the message which ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another:
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not as Cain was of the evil one, and slew his brother.
And wherefore slew he him?
Because his works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
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Marvel not, brethren, if the world hateth you.
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We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren.
He that loveth not abideth in death.
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Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
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Hereby know we love, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
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But whoso hath the world’s goods, and beholdeth his brother in need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love of God abide in him?
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[My] Little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue;
but in deed and truth.
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Hereby shall we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before him:
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because if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
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Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God;
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and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.
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And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he gave us commandment.
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And he that keepeth his commandments abideth in him, and he in him.
And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.