Study Desk

Therefore, dear friends, since you have these expectations, earnestly seek to be found in His presence, free from blemish or reproach, in peace.

That is what he says in all his letters, when speaking in them of these things. In those letters there are some statements hard to understand, which ill-taught and unprincipled people pervert, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own ruin.

that which we have seen and listened to we now announce to you also, in order that you also may have fellowship in it with us, and this fellowship with us is fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

But if we live in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.

If we deny that we have sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Message has no place in our hearts.

And by this we may know that we know Him--if we obey His commands.

He who professes to know Him, and yet does not obey His commands, is a liar, and the truth has no place in his heart.

But whoever obeys His Message, in him love for God has in very deed reached perfection. By this we can know that we are in Him.

Any one who professes to be in the light and yet hates his brother man is still in darkness.

He who loves his brother man continues in the light, and his life puts no stumbling-block in the way of others.

But he who hates his brother man is in darkness and is walking in darkness; and he does not know where he is going--because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

I am writing to you, dear children, because for His sake your sins are forgiven you.

Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If any one loves the world, there is no love in his heart for the Father.

And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him remains within you, and there is no need for any one to teach you. But since His anointing gives you instruction in all things--and is true and is no falsehood--you are continuing in union with Him even as it has taught you to do.

And now, dear children, continue in union with Him; so that, if He re-appears, we may have perfect confidence, and may not shrink away in shame from His presence at His Coming.

Since you know that He is righteous, be assured also that the man who habitually acts righteously is a child of His.

By this we can distinguish God's children and the Devil's children: no one who fails to act righteously is a child of God, nor he who does not love his brother man.

We are not to resemble Cain, who was a child of the Evil one and killed his own brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own actions were wicked and his brother's actions righteous.

Every one who hates his brother man is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has the Life of the Ages continuing in him.

We know what love is--through Christ's having laid down His life on our behalf; and in the same way we ought to lay down our lives for our brother men.