3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because[a] the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him[b] there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
1 John 2:3-11, ESV
It is not uncommon for believers to wonder if they’re on the right path. One might ask if they genuinely are saved or even try to evaluate if they please the Lord with their life. How does one know if they are walking in the light with God as John describes in 1 John 1:7? These are normal and healthy questions, and it seems to be a focus of John’s as he writes this epistle to the Church. Here in this passage, he gives us three tangible ways to determine if we know God and, in turn, have fellowship with Him in the light.
The words we say express what is hopefully in our hearts. But the actions of our bodies will either tell on us or confirm the words we proclaim.
Here’s how John instructs a believer to evaluate if they truly know God:
- Do you keep God’s commands? (1 John 2:3)
- Do you keep God’s word? (1 John 2:5)
- Do you walk in the same way that Jesus walked? (1 John 2:6)
- Do you love your brother? (1 John 2:10)
This self-evaluation has a clear answer, and it is one we should seek out wholeheartedly. The one who says YES to these questions abides in God. If He is to be our home, we must obey the house rules as a part of the spiritual family.