The Message Bible MSG
English Standard Version ESV
14 And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he's listening.
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And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
15 And if we're confident that he's listening, we know that what we've asked for is as good as ours.
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And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
16 For instance, if we see a Christian believer sinning (clearly I'm not talking about those who make a practice of sin in a way that is "fatal," leading to eternal death), we ask for God's help and he gladly gives it, gives life to the sinner whose sin is not fatal. There is such a thing as a fatal sin, and I'm not urging you to pray about that.
16
If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life--to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.
17 Everything we do wrong is sin, but not all sin is fatal.
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All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
18 We know that none of the God-begotten makes a practice of sin - fatal sin. The God-begotten are also the God-protected. The Evil One can't lay a hand on them.
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We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
19 We know that we are held firm by God; it's only the people of the world who continue in the grip of the Evil One.
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We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
20 And we know that the Son of God came so we could recognize and understand the truth of God - what a gift! - and we are living in the Truth itself, in God's Son, Jesus Christ. This Jesus is both True God and Real Life.
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And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
21 Dear children, be on guard against all clever facsimiles.
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Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.