1 John 3:21 (YLT)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

1 John 3:19 and in this we know that of the truth we are, and before Him we shall assure our hearts,

1 John 3:20 because if our heart may condemn--because greater is God than our heart, and He doth know all things.

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

1 John 3:22 and whatever we may ask, we receive from Him, because His commands we keep, and the things pleasing before Him we do,

1 John 3:23 and this is His command, that we may believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and may love one another, even as He did give command to us,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "condemn", "beloved", "heart", "boldness", and "toward". 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 "because if our heart may condemn--because greater..." into verse 22's "and whatever we may ask we receive...", 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.