Study Desk

Jesus has the power of God. And his power has given us everything we need to live a life devoted to God. We have these things because we know him. Jesus chose us by his glory and goodness,

through which he also gave us the very great and rich gifts that he promised us. With these gifts you can share in being like God. And so you will escape the ruin that comes to people in the world because of the evil things they want.

Because you have these blessings, do all you can to add to your life these things: to your faith add goodness; to your goodness add knowledge;

Many people will follow them in the morally wrong things they do. And because of them, others will say bad things about the way of truth we follow.

Remember that we are saved because our Lord is patient. Our dear brother Paul told you that same thing when he wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him.

We are telling you about what we have seen and heard because we want you to have fellowship with us. The fellowship we share together is with God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ.

But whoever hates their brother or sister is in darkness. They live in darkness. They don't know where they are going, because the darkness has made them blind.

I write to you, dear children, because your sins are forgiven through Christ.

I write to you, fathers, because you know the one who existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you have defeated the Evil One.

I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know the one who existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong. The word of God lives in you, and you have defeated the Evil One.

Do you think I am writing this letter because you don't know the truth? No, I am writing because you do know the truth. And you know that no lie comes from the truth.

The Father has loved us so much! This shows how much he loved us: We are called children of God. And we really are his children. But the people in the world don't understand that we are God's children, because they have not known him.

Those who are God's children do not continue to sin, because the new life God gave them stays in them. They cannot keep sinning, because they have become children of God.

Don't be like Cain. He belonged to the Evil One. Cain killed his brother. But why did he kill him? Because what Cain did was evil, and what his brother did was good.

We know that we have left death and have come into life. We know this because we love each other as brothers and sisters. Anyone who does not love is still in death.

That's how we know we belong to the way of truth. And when our hearts make us feel guilty, we can still have peace before God, because God is greater than our hearts. He knows everything.

And God gives us what we ask for. We receive it because we obey God's commands and do what pleases him.

All who obey God's commands live in God. And God lives in them. How do we know that God lives in us? We know because of the Spirit he gave us.

My dear children, you belong to God, so you have already defeated these false prophets. That's because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Dear friends, we should love each other, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has become God's child. And so everyone who loves knows God.