Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. | People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. |
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. | All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. |
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No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. | Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. |
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. | For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. |
This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. | This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here. |
If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. | If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. |
When anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned. | When you become aware of your guilt in any of these ways, you must confess your sin. |