What is the meaning of 1 John 3:14? We know - John is writing about certainty, not guesswork. “We know” echoes Romans 8:16 where “the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” - This knowledge is rooted in God’s own testimony (1 John 5:10) and in the clear promises of Jesus, such as John 10:27-28: “My sheep hear My voice… I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.” - Assurance is meant to anchor daily living. Doubt keeps believers timid; confidence fuels obedience and joy (Hebrews 10:22-24). that we have passed from death to life - Salvation is not a tune-up of the old self; it is a transfer. Jesus said, “Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24). - Paul paints the same contrast: “you were dead in your trespasses… but God… made us alive with Christ” (Ephesians 2:1-5). - Because this crossing is finished, believers now live in resurrection power (Romans 6:13) and can set their minds “on things above” (Colossians 3:1-3). because we love our brothers - Love is not the cause of salvation; it is the evidence. Jesus marked it out as the family resemblance: “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples: if you love one another” (John 13:35). - This love is practical: sharing goods (1 John 3:17), bearing burdens (Galatians 6:2), forgiving quickly (Ephesians 4:32). - When love flows, the Spirit is at work (1 John 4:7-8). Its presence assures the heart that real life has begun (2 Corinthians 5:17). The one who does not love remains in death - Lack of love reveals an unchanged heart. “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness” (1 John 2:9). - Just as a fruitless tree exposes its true condition (Matthew 7:17-19), chronic lovelessness exposes spiritual death. - James puts it bluntly: “Faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:17). The outward absence of love mirrors the inward absence of life. summary John’s simple test is graciously clear: new life in Christ shows up as genuine love for fellow believers. Confidence grows as that love moves from feeling to action, confirming that the transfer from death to life is real and irreversible. |
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