1 John 2:1-11

New American Standard Bible

Christ Is Our Advocate

2 ^(A)My little children, I am ^(B)writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, ^(C)we have an ^[a]^(D)Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; ²and He Himself is ^(E)the ^[b]propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also ^(F)for the sins of the whole world.

³^(G)By this we know that we have come to ^(H)know Him, if we ^(I)keep His commandments. ⁴The one who says, “^(J)I have come to ^(K)know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a ^(L)liar, and ^(M)the truth is not in him; ⁵but whoever ^(N)follows His word, in him the ^(O)love of God has truly been perfected. ^(P)By this we know that we are in Him: ⁶the one who says that he ^(Q)remains in Him ^(R)ought, himself also, walk just as He walked.

⁷^(S)Beloved, I am ^(T)not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had ^(U)from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. ⁸^[c]On the other hand, I am writing ^(V)a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because ^(W)the darkness is passing away and ^(X)the true Light is already shining. ⁹The one who says that he is in the Light and yet ^(Y)hates his ^(Z)brother or sister is in the darkness until now. ¹⁰^(AA)The one who loves his brother and sister remains in the Light, and there is nothing in him to cause stumbling. ¹¹But the one who ^(AB)hates his brother or sister is in the darkness and ^(AC)walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has ^(AD)blinded his eyes.