Mission Venture Ministries

“And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” (1 John 2:3) 

In context, John is giving a concrete assurance test for believers: genuine knowledge of God is evidenced by a life of obedience to His commands. This is not teaching that obedience earns salvation, but that obedience is the visible fruit of a heart that has already been saved and knows Christ. 

Critical to understanding this passage is the connection between “knowing” and “keeping” as seen in the Old Testament. The Jewish people were called to show their belief in God through obedience to the Mosaic Law. Even during that time, obedience was the result of faith, not the object of faith. Hebrews chapter 11 offers clear evidence of those godly people throughout the Old Testament who lived by faith, obeyed the Lord, and were recognized for it. Faith was, and is, essential to knowing the Lord. 

1 John 2:3 sits at the start of a new section in the letter where John moves from doctrine to tests of authentic Christian life within the community. 

Verses 1–2: John has just spoken of Jesus as our righteous advocate and atoning sacrifice when we sin; assuring believers that forgiveness is available in Christ. 

Verses 3–6: He then introduces an “obedience test”: truly knowing God is evidenced by keeping His commandments; whoever claims to know Him but does not obey is a liar, while the one who keeps His word shows that God’s love is perfected in them and should “walk in the same way in which He walked.” 

The evidence of someone knowing God, and fellowship with Him is that he does keep His commandments. A simple, loving obedience is a natural result of fellowship with God. 

So obedience to God in verse 5 is a kind of barometer, a measure, or our love for God. Just as small children learn to combine love and obedience in their relationship with their parents, so we grow in the same understanding in or relationship with God. The relationship between love (faith) and obedience is a key theme in the letter written by James (James 2:14-26). 

In 1 John 2:7–11: John immediately specifies that the central “commandment” is the old yet new command to love one another; love for fellow believers shows one is in the light, while hatred shows one remains in darkness. 

In Verses 12–14: He pauses to reassure his readers (children, fathers, young men) that they really do belong to God, grounding them in forgiveness, knowledge of the Father, and victory over the evil one. 

In Verses 15–17: He adds a “worldliness test” – do not love the world or the things in the world, because the desires of the flesh, desires of the eyes, and pride of life are passing away, but whoever does God’s will abides forever. 

And in Verses 18–27: He introduces a “truth test” concerning the antichrists and false teachers, emphasizing that those who truly know God abide in the apostolic teaching about the Son and the Father and are taught by the Holy Spirit. 

1 John 2:3 is therefore the doorway into a cluster of assurance tests – obedience, love, and doctrinal fidelity meant not to unsettle true believers but to distinguish genuine fellowship with God from empty claims. 

A person who has put trusting faith in Christ is expected to obey (1 John 2:5), but whether or not they do is still up to them. Therefore, give thought today as to how your obedience to God reflects your profession of love for God. 

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