friendship with the world

⁴You adulterers! Do you not know that the friendship of this world is hostile to God? Therefore, whoever has chosen to be a friend of this world has been made into an enemy of God.

²And do not choose to be conformed to this age, but instead choose to be reformed in the newness of your mind, so that you may demonstrate what is the will of God: what is good, and what is well-pleasing, and what is perfect.

¹⁵Do not choose to love the world, nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the charity of the Father is not in him.

¹³If the world hates you, brothers, do not be surprised.

¹⁹We know that we are of God, and that the entire world is established in wickedness.

¹My little sons, this I write to you, so that you may not sin. But if anyone has sinned, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Just One. ²And he is the propitiation for our sins. And not only for our sins, but also for those of the whole world. ³And we can be sure that we have known him by this: if we observe his commandments. ⁴Whoever claims that he knows him, and yet does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the charity of God is perfected. And by this we know that we are in him. ⁶Whoever declares himself to remain in him, ought to walk just as he himself walked.

¹Where do wars and contentions among you come from? Is it not from this: from your own desires, which battle within your members? ²You desire, and you do not have. You envy and you kill, and you are unable to obtain. You argue and you fight, and you do not have, because you do not ask. ³You ask and you do not receive, because you ask badly, so that you may use it toward your own desires. ⁴You adulterers! Do you not know that the friendship of this world is hostile to God? Therefore, whoever has chosen to be a friend of this world has been made into an enemy of God. ⁵Or do you think that Scripture says in vain: “The spirit which lives within you desires unto envy?” ⁶But he gives a greater grace. Therefore he says: “God resists the arrogant, but he gives grace to the humble.”

²⁷This is religion, clean and undefiled before God the Father: to visit orphans and widows in their tribulations, and to keep yourself immaculate, apart from this age.

¹See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we would be called, and would become, the sons of God. Because of this, the world does not know us, for it did not know him.

¹⁵Do not choose to love the world, nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the charity of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶For all that is in the world is the desire of the flesh, and the desire of the eyes, and the arrogance of a life which is not of the Father, but is of the world. ¹⁷And the world is passing away, with its desire. But whoever does the will of God abides unto eternity.

¹But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be among you lying teachers, who will introduce divisions of perdition, and they will deny him who bought them, the Lord, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

¹Simon Peter, servant and Apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have been allotted an equal faith with us in the justice of our God and in our Savior Jesus Christ. ²Grace to you. And may peace be fulfilled according to the plan of God and of Christ Jesus our Lord, ³in the same manner that all things which are for life and piety have been given to us by his Divine virtue, through the plan of him who has called us to our own glory and virtue. ⁴Through Christ, he has given us the greatest and most precious promises, so that by these things you may become sharers in the Divine Nature, fleeing from the corruption of that desire which is in the world. ⁵But as for you, taking up every concern, minister virtue in your faith; and in virtue, knowledge; ⁶and in knowledge, moderation; and in moderation, patience; and in patience, piety;

¹⁹If you had been of the world, the world would love what is its own. Yet truly, you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world; because of this, the world hates you.

¹See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we would be called, and would become, the sons of God. Because of this, the world does not know us, for it did not know him. ²Most beloved, we are now the sons of God. But what we shall be then has not yet appeared. We know that when he does appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³And everyone who holds this hope in him, keeps himself holy, just as he also is holy. ⁴Everyone who commits a sin, also commits iniquity. For sin is iniquity. ⁵And you know that he appeared in order that he might take away our sins. For in him there is no sin. ⁶Everyone who abides in him does not sin. For whoever sins has not seen him, and has not known him.

¹And know this: that in the last days perilous times will press near.

³³Do not be led astray. Evil communication corrupts good morals.