Day 358 of 364

¹This is now, beloved, the second letter that I have written to you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by reminding you ²that you should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets and the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, ³knowing this first, that in the last days mockers will come, walking after their own lusts ⁴and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” ⁵For they willfully forget that there were heavens from of old, and an earth formed out of water and amid water by the word of God, ⁶by which means the world that existed then, being overflowed with water, perished. ⁷But the heavens that exist now and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. ⁸But don’t forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance. ¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat; and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. ¹¹Therefore, since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness, ¹²looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, which will cause the burning heavens to be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? ¹³But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. ¹⁴Therefore, beloved, seeing that you look for these things, be diligent to be found in peace, without defect and blameless in his sight. ¹⁵Regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you, ¹⁶as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those, there are some things that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. ¹⁷You therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware, lest being carried away with the error of the wicked, you fall from your own steadfastness. ¹⁸But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

^1:1That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life ^1:2(and the life was revealed, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was revealed to us); ^1:3that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ^1:4And we write these things to you, that our joy may be fulfilled. ^1:5This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ^1:6If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie and don’t tell the truth. ^1:7But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. ^1:8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ^1:9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ^1:10If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. ^2:1My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. ^2:2And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. ^2:3This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commandments. ^2:4One who says, “I know him,” and doesn’t keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth isn’t in him. ^2:5But God’s love has most certainly been perfected in whoever keeps his word. This is how we know that we are in him: ^2:6he who says he remains in him ought himself also to walk just like he walked. ^2:7Brothers, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. ^2:8Again, I write a new commandment to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light already shines. ^2:9He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness even until now. ^2:10He who loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no occasion for stumbling in him. ^2:11But he who hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and doesn’t know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. ^2:12I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. ^2:13I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, little children, because you know the Father. ^2:14I have written to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the evil one. ^2:15Don’t love the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him. ^2:16For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s. ^2:17The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever. ^2:18Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the final hour. ^2:19They went out from us, but they didn’t belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that none of them belong to us. ^2:20You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. ^2:21I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. ^2:22Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. ^2:23Whoever denies the Son doesn’t have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also. ^2:24Therefore, as for you, let that remain in you which you heard from the beginning. If that which you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son, and in the Father. ^2:25This is the promise which he promised us, the eternal life. ^2:26These things I have written to you concerning those who would lead you astray. ^2:27As for you, the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, you will remain in him. ^2:28Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness and not be ashamed before him at his coming. ^2:29If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. ^3:1See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. ^3:2Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him just as he is. ^3:3Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure. ^3:4Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness. ^3:5You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and no sin is in him. ^3:6Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him. ^3:7Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. ^3:8He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil. ^3:9Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him, and he can’t sin, because he is born of God. ^3:10In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother. ^3:11For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another— ^3:12unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous. ^3:13Don’t be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. ^3:14We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death. ^3:15Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. ^3:16By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ^3:17But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him? ^3:18My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth. ^3:19And by this we know that we are of the truth and persuade our hearts before him, ^3:20because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. ^3:21Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God; ^3:22so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. ^3:23This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded. ^3:24He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.