^7 (A)Little children, make sure no one ^(B)deceives you; ^(C)the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; ⁸ the one who practices sin is ^(D)of the devil; for the devil ^[a]has been sinning from the beginning. ^(E)The Son of God ^(F)appeared for this purpose, ^(G)to destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ No one who has been ^(H)born of God practices sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin continually, because he has been born of God. ¹⁰ By this the ^(I)children of God and the ^(J)children of the devil are obvious: ^[b]anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who ^(K)does not love his ^(L)brother and sister.

⁴⁸ Therefore ^(A)you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

^36 [a]Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

²³ And He was saying to them all, “^(A)If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. ²⁴ For ^(B)whoever wants to save his ^[a]life will lose it, but whoever loses his ^[b]life for My sake, this is the one who will save it.

³³ So then, none of you can be My disciple who ^(A)does not ^[a]give up all his own possessions.