1 John 3:21

Dear friends, when we do not feel guilty because of our sins, we can pray to God confidently.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

In Context

20We can pray confidently, because although we might feel guilty/ashamed about our sins, God is ◄greater/more worthy to be trusted► than what we feel. He knows everything about us.

22And, when we confidently pray to him and request something from him, we receive it because we do what he commands us to do, and because we do what pleases him.

Read all of 1 John 3

Cross References

Job 22:26you will be happy because of your close relationship with God, and you will be able to approach him [IDM] confidently.

Psalms 7:3Yahweh my God, if I have done anything that is wrong,

1 Corinthians 4:4I do not think that I have done anything wrong, but that does not prove that I have done nothing wrong. The Lord is the one who judges me.

1 Timothy 2:8I desire that in every place where believers worship, the men who pray publicly [MTY] should be men who are not practicing sin. When they pray, they should not be angry with anyone and they should not doubt that God will answer their prayers (OR, should not quarrel with anyone).

Hebrews 10:22Just like the priests were sprinkled { as Moses sprinkled the priests} with blood [MET] to symbolize that they were no longer guilty for having sinned, we also no longer are guilty for having done evil. Just like the priests ceremonially washed their bodies with pure water to prepare themselves to serve God, we are allowing God to continually make us pure. So, we (inc) must approach God sincerely by confidently trusting in him.

1 John 4:17We should love others completely. And if we do that, when the time comes for him to judge us, we will be confident that he will not condemn us (OR, that we have a close relationship with him). We will be confident of that because of our conducting our lives in this world as Christ did.

Matthew Henry on 1 John 3:21-23

The Testimony of Conscience. ( a. d. 80.) 20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. The apostle, having intimated that there may be, even among us, such a privilege as an assurance or sound persuasion of heart towards God, proceeds here, I. To establish the court of… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study 1 John 3:21