Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists ¹  have appeared. We know from this that it is the last hour.

(See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that ¹  we should be called God’s children – and indeed ²  we are! ³  For this reason ⁴  the world does not know us: because it did not know him. ⁵ 

If anyone says ¹  “I love God” and yet ²  hates his fellow Christian, ³  he is a liar, because the one who does not love his fellow Christian ⁴  whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. ⁵ 

Everyone who has been fathered ¹  by God does not practice sin, ²  because ³  God’s ⁴  seed ⁵  resides in him, and thus ⁶  he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God.

By this ¹  the love of God ²  is revealed in us: ³  that God has sent his one and only ⁴  Son into the world so that we may live through him.

If ¹  anyone sees his fellow Christian ²  committing a sin not resulting in death, ³  he should ask, and God ⁴  will grant ⁵  life to the person who commits a sin not resulting in death. ⁶  There is a sin resulting in death. ⁷  I do not say that he should ask about that.

Now this ¹  is the promise that he ²  himself made to ³  us: eternal life. ⁴ 

For ¹  there are three that testify, ² 

Thus ¹  we are writing these things so that ²  our ³  joy may be complete. ⁴ 

All unrighteousness ¹  is sin, but there is sin not resulting in death. ² 

We have come to know love by this: ¹  that Jesus ²  laid down ³  his life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians.

because ¹  everyone ²  who has been fathered by God ³  conquers ⁴  the world. ⁵ This ⁶  is the conquering power ⁷  that has conquered ⁸  the world: our faith.

Now ¹  by this we know that we have come to know God: ²  if we keep his commandments.

The one who says he is in the light but still hates ¹  his fellow Christian ²  is still in the darkness.

Everyone who practices sin ¹  also practices lawlessness; ²  indeed, ³  sin is lawlessness.

Everyone who resides ¹  in him does not sin; ²  everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him.

(My little children, ¹  I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. ² ) But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate ³  with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, ⁴ 

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. ¹  The ²  one who fears punishment ³  has not been perfected in love.

Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God,

I have written these things ¹  to you who believe ²  in the name of the Son of God so that ³  you may know that you have eternal life.