By This We Know
If you did a search in the Bible for this phrase you are going to see that the vast majority of the passages containing this phrase are found in John’s first epistle (the book of 1 John). That’s because John plainly states in his epistle that the reason he wrote this letter was so that one could KNOW that they have eternal life.
Here is what John states are the evidences by which we can KNOW:
“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.”
I John 2:3 NKJV
A change in desires within us that drives us toward obedience to Him is one of the first characteristics.
“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.”
I John 3:18-19 NKJV
The fact that our love for our brother is not simply words but that they are backed up with actions and those actions are in alignment with the truth of His word is the second characteristic he lists.
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.”
I John 5:2 NKJV
The previous passage tells us that love for our brother is a characteristic, but this passage explains how we know we love our brother. We know we love our brother when we love God. That means God is always first in every relationship. We don’t compromise our obedience to God to love our brother but rather we’re to hold fast to God and His primacy in our hearts. Our chief concern for our brother is their walk with Him in truth and obedience.
“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”
I John 4:12-13 NKJV
Once again, our love for one another is one of the chief characteristics. But this love is an evidence of Him abiding with us. In fact it is an evidence that He has given us His Holy Spirit.
“But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.”
I John 2:5 NKJV
Keeping His word in obedience is listed again as an evidence that we know Him.
“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
I John 3:16 NKJV
And again, love for the brethren is repeated. Specifically, we are shown to be a new creation, created in His image, when the growth and salvation of a brother supersedes everything else… including my own life. This type of thinking shows that our hearts are focused on His kingdom and see IT as the central focus of our lives.
“We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
I John 4:6 NKJV
When he says that “he that knows God, hears us”. This means that the Holy Spirit has given us ears to hear. The “us” refers to the apostles and New Testament writers. The evidence of His dwelling with us is that we hear His word and see it as THE source of truth and obey it. In the same way, a willful disobedience to His word is evidence that we don’t know Him.
Closing:
Notice that John lists these characteristics as evidences of knowing that we are born again. We love God. We do this by loving our brothers in Christ and seeking that they grow in Christ and not stumble and fall away. And we do all this in obedience to His commands and the truth of His word.
It is critical we understand that these are not checklist items that we are to follow to be saved. That is works!
Every characteristic listed here Jesus Himself plainly taught. Thus these characteristics in our own lives are the greatest evidence that we are becoming more like Him. And the reason we are, is because these characteristics are aspects of His nature and they reveal that He is dwelling within us.
John wrote this epistle and listed these evidences of truly being born again so that we can know that we are saved. But also so that we don’t fall into self deception (1 John 1:6). But what good does it do to preach truth to the self deceived? We do so because we seek our brothers highest good and in the hopes that the Spirit of God might grant repentance through conviction of the Holy Spirit and open the eyes and ears of the hard hearted that they might be saved.
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