How do we know if we truly know God? John’s first letter answers this question with clarity. In 1 John 2:3–11, he explains that genuine fellowship with God is revealed in obedience to His commands and love for others. Those who claim to know God but live in hatred or disobedience are self-deceived. This passage confronts empty claims of faith and calls us to walk as Jesus walked.

Full Scripture (1 John 2:3–11, ESV)

“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 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. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 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.”

Context and Background

Before this passage, John emphasized Christ’s atoning sacrifice for sin (1 John 2:2). Afterward, he warns against loving the world and urges believers to remain faithful. The structure of 1 John alternates between encouragement and correction, showing that true fellowship with God must lead to righteous living. As Thomas Lea explains, John’s pattern highlights the necessity of right attitude, right action, and right belief.¹

Exposition of the Passage

• Knowing God and Obedience (vv. 3–6): To know God is to keep His commandments. A claim without obedience is false. To abide in Him means to walk as Jesus walked.
• Old and New Commandment (vv. 7–8): John is not giving something new, but reminding believers of the command to love. It is new because Christ fulfilled it and embodied it perfectly.²
• Light and Darkness (vv. 9–11): Hatred proves that one is still in darkness. Love is the evidence of living in the light, keeping believers from stumbling.³

Theological Insights

Zane Hodges notes that the “newness” of the commandment lies in Christ Himself: His example of love fills the command with fresh meaning.² The Bible Knowledge Commentary explains that in biblical thought, “light” suggests vision and knowledge, making walking in the light synonymous with pursuing God’s truth.³ John’s message is not legalistic but relational: obedience and love are evidence of genuine fellowship with God.

Application: Then and Now

The timeless principle is that obedience and love reveal true discipleship. In every generation, there are those who profess faith but refuse to obey God or love others. John’s words cut through pretense, reminding us that love for God and hatred for others cannot coexist.

Action Steps

1. Pursue daily fellowship with God: Spend time in prayer and Scripture to know His commands.
2. Walk as Jesus walked: Study Christ’s life and imitate His obedience and love.
3. Reject hatred: Ask God to reveal and remove bitterness toward others. Hatred blinds, but love brings clarity.
4. Live in light: Make choices consistent with God’s truth, so your life testifies to His presence.

Conclusion

1 John 2:3–11 offers both encouragement and rebuke. Knowing God is not proven by words but by obedience and love. To abide in Christ is to walk as He walked, live in His light, and love as He loved.

For a related reflection, see our devotional on God is light and love in 1 John.

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Notes

1. Thomas D. Lea, “The General Letters,” in Holman Concise Bible Commentary, ed. David S. Dockery (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 1998), 585.
2. Zane C. Hodges, “1 John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 885.
3. Ibid., 886.

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