1 John 3:21 (DBY)

Passage

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness towards God,

Nearby Context

1 John 3:19 And hereby we shall know that we are of the truth, and shall persuade our hearts before him

1 John 3:20 that if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things.

1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness towards God,

1 John 3:22 and whatsoever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments, and practise the things which are pleasing in his sight.

1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, that we believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and that we love one another, even as he has given us commandment.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "condemn", "beloved", "heart", "boldness", and "towards". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "condemn" and "beloved", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "that if our heart condemn us God..." into verse 22's "and whatsoever we ask we receive from...", so "condemn" and "beloved" belong inside that flow. In 1 John context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "condemn" and "beloved" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.