Consider the kind of love the Father has blessed us with, that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore, the world doesn’t understand us, because it didn’t understand Him (Jesus, the Son of God). Beloved, right now, we are the sons of God, and it isn’t clear yet what we are to be, but we know that when Jesus shall appear, we shall be like Him, because we will see Him as He is. And every man who has this hope in Him, purifies himself, even as Jesus is pure. (Matthew 5:8) Did you get that part about us becoming like Jesus when He appears?  I’m gonna ask you to hold on to your emotions cuz you aint read nothing yet ...

          Whoever commits sin, also violates the law, because sin is the violation of the law. And you understand that Jesus was born, made flesh, revealed to us, to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin at all. Whoever abides (remains) in Him, doesn’t sin, and whoever sins, has not seen Him, or known Him.

          Little children, let no man deceive you: he that does righteousness is righteous, even as Jesus is righteous. He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever is born of God does not commit sin; because His child abides in Him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

          Now, let’s look at the other side of the coin that John is showing us. He that commits sin is of the devil. Well, it certainly isn’t of your own preference, that you sin. Something plants the seed that grows into sin. You don’t purpose in your heart, saying, I want to sin. In fact, you probably hate yourself once you do it. And if you’re leading a Christian life, each and every day, the devil is slapping opportunities to sin under your nose left and right. It’s his job. And sometimes we transgress. We all do. We sin.

          Let’s continue now with John’s letter. This is how you can tell who are the children of God and the children of the devil: Whoever isn’t righteous, is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother. This is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not like Cain, who was of that wicked one, and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.

          Don’t be surprised my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. (A murderer in the sense that he kills his own hope of eternal life.)

          By this we understand the love of God, because Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has plenty, and sees his brother in need, and doesn’t have compassion on him, how can the love of God live in him?

          My little children, let’s not love in word (things written), or in talk, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall encourage our hearts before Him. Because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, then we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

          And this is His commandment, That we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He commanded us. And he that keeps His commandments dwells in him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He has given us.