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We Have Eternal Life Now

13 ·I write this letter [L I have written these things] to you who believe in the [L name of the] Son of God so you will know you have eternal life. 14 And this is the ·boldness [confidence] we have ·in God’s presence [L before God; 3:21]: that if we ask God for anything ·that agrees with what he wants [L according to his will], he hears us. 15 [L And] If we know he hears us ·every time we ask him [in whatever we ask], we know we have what we ask from him [3:21–22; Mark 11:24].

16 If anyone sees a brother or sister [C fellow believer] sinning (sin that does not lead to ·eternal death [L death]), that person should ·pray [ask; intercede], and God will give the sinner life. I am talking about people whose sin does not lead to ·eternal death [L death]. There is ·sin [or a sin] that leads to [eternal] death [C probably referring to the false teachers, their rejection of the Spirit’s work having put them beyond repentance; compare Mark 3:29]. I do not mean that a person should ·pray [ask; intercede] about that sin. 17 ·Doing wrong is always sin [L All unrighteousness is sin], but there is sin that does not lead to ·eternal death [L death].

18 We know that those who ·are God’s children [L are born of/begotten by God] do not ·continue to sin [L sin; 3:6, 9]. The ·Son of God [L the one born of/begotten by God; C Jesus] ·keeps them safe [protects them], and the Evil One [C the Devil] cannot ·touch [harm] them. 19 We know that we ·belong to God [or are children of God; L are of God], but the Evil One controls the whole world. 20 We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we can know the True One. And ·our lives [L we] are in the True One and in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and the eternal life.

21 So, dear children [2:1], ·keep yourselves away [guard yourselves] from ·false gods [L idols; C either literal idols or false ideas about God].

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Concluding Affirmations

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God(A) so that you may know that you have eternal life.(B) 14 This is the confidence(C) we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.(D) 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know(E) that we have what we asked of him.(F)

16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life.(G) I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death.(H) I am not saying that you should pray about that.(I) 17 All wrongdoing is sin,(J) and there is sin that does not lead to death.(K)

18 We know that anyone born of God(L) does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one(M) cannot harm them.(N) 19 We know that we are children of God,(O) and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.(P) 20 We know also that the Son of God has come(Q) and has given us understanding,(R) so that we may know him who is true.(S) And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.(T)

21 Dear children,(U) keep yourselves from idols.(V)

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