Lesson 4: The Evidence of Fellowship

1 John 2:3-11 · The Tests of Genuine Faith

In the first two lessons, John established the foundation: fellowship with God requires walking in the light, and when we fail, we have an Advocate. Now he asks the practical question: How do we know we truly know God? The answer is not mystical feeling but measurable evidence — obedience and love.

Read the Text

³And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. ⁴Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵But whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: ⁶whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. ⁷Beloved, 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. ⁸At 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. ⁹Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. ¹⁰Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. ¹¹But 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)

Knowing That We Know Him

Verse 3 is remarkable: "Hereby we do know that we know Him." John is intensely interested in assurance — the confidence that our faith is real. The Greek construction piles up knowledge words: ginosko (to know, to experience) is used twice. We know (experientially) that we know (relationally) Him.

And the evidence? "If we keep His commandments."

This is the moral test of genuine faith. John is not teaching salvation by works — he's teaching that salvation produces works. Obedience is not the basis of our relationship with God; it's the evidence of it. A person who claims to know God but lives in habitual disobedience is deceived.

John's language is intentionally provocative: "He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar." The same strong word (pseustes) he used in 1:6 for those who claim fellowship while walking in darkness. John refuses to let profession replace possession.

"Keep His Commandments" — What Does This Mean?John is not talking about perfect, sinless obedience (he just established in 2:1-2 that we still sin). The word "keep" (tēreō) means to guard, to observe, to hold in one's custody. It describes the general direction and posture of a life — not flawless performance but faithful intention. A true believer treasures God's commands and aims to obey them, even when he stumbles.

The Love of God Perfected

Verse 5 deepens the test: "Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him."

The phrase "love of God" (hē agapē tou theou) can mean either our love for God or God's love in us. Given the context (obedience producing assurance), it likely refers to both — God's love demonstrated through our obedience to His commands. When we obey, the love that God has placed in us reaches its intended goal: a life that looks like Christ.

"Hereby we know that we are in Him." This is the deepest level of assurance. Not just "I know about Him" but "I am in Him" — united with Christ, sharing His life. And the evidence is not a vision or a feeling but the practical reality of keeping His word.

Walking as He Walked

Verse 6 is the moral test in its clearest form: "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked."

The word meno (abide) is one of John's favorite words. It means to remain, to stay, to dwell. To abide in Christ is to live in constant union with Him, drawing life from Him as a branch draws life from the vine (John 15:4-5).

And the test of abiding is walking as Jesus walked. Jesus walked in perfect obedience to the Father, in selfless love, in humility, in prayer, in dependence on the Spirit. To claim to abide in Christ while living a different kind of life is empty profession.

ReflectionAdrian Rogers said: "Salvation is not just a fire escape from hell — it's a walk through life with Jesus. You can't take Christ as your Savior without taking Him as your Lord." Walking as Jesus walked doesn't mean imitating His sandals and robes — it means adopting His priorities, His humility, His love, His obedience to the Father.

The Old Commandment and the New

John now transitions from the moral test (obedience) to the love test. He introduces it as both old and new.

The Old Commandment

"I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning." The commandment to love one another is as old as the covenant community. It was there in the Old Testament (Leviticus 19:18: "Love your neighbor as yourself") and it was there from the very beginning of Jesus' ministry (John 13:34). John's readers had heard it from day one of their Christian lives.

The New Commandment

"Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you." What makes it new? The standard and the power. In John 13:34, Jesus said: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you." The newness is the measure — not "as you love yourself" but "as Christ loved you." And the power to fulfill it comes from the new nature: "because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining."

The old commandment (love your neighbor) has been renewed in Christ. The standard is higher (His sacrificial love), and the enablement is real (the light has come).

Love or Hate: The Great Divide

John now applies the love test with the same sharp edge he used for the moral test:

He who says he is in the light but hates his brother — "is in darkness even until now" (v. 9). His profession is false. Hate for a fellow believer proves he never left the darkness.
He who loves his brother — "abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him" (v. 10). Love for God's people is the sure sign that you dwell in God's light.
He who hates his brother — "is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes" (v. 11). This is a terrifying progression: hate leads to darkness, darkness leads to blindness, and the blind person doesn't even know he's lost.

John's language is absolute: love and hate are not personality quirks. They are spiritual indicators. A person cannot claim to know God while harboring hatred toward a brother or sister in Christ. The two are mutually exclusive — light and darkness cannot coexist.

What John Means by "Hate"John is not talking about momentary anger or frustration. The word miseō (to hate) in this context describes a settled attitude of hostility, indifference, or contempt toward another believer. It's the opposite of agapaō — the active, sacrificial love that seeks the other's good. A Christian can lose his temper; a Christian cannot habitually despise his brother and remain in the light.

Key Terms to Remember

Know (ginōskō) — Relational, experiential knowledge; not knowing about God but knowing Him
Abide (menō) — To remain, dwell, stay in union with Christ; the branch-and-vine relationship
Keep (tēreō) — To guard, observe, hold in one's custody; the general direction of a life of obedience
Commandment (entolē) — A specific directive from God, especially the command to love one another
Hate (miseō) — A settled attitude of hostility or contempt; the opposite of biblical love

Check Your Understanding

1. According to 1 John 2:3-6, how do we know that we truly know God?

a) By having dramatic spiritual experiences

b) By keeping His commandments and walking as Jesus walked

c) By attending church regularly

d) By being able to recite Scripture

b) By keeping His commandments and walking as Jesus walked — John's test of genuine knowledge of God is practical obedience. Not perfect sinlessness, but a life that treasures God's commands and aims to follow Christ's example.

2. How is the "old commandment" in verse 7 also a "new commandment" in verse 8?

The command to love is old (given from the beginning), but the standard is new: "as I have loved you" (John 13:34). The old standard was "love your neighbor as yourself." The new standard is Christ's sacrificial love. The power to fulfill it is also new — the true light is now shining, enabling what the law could only command.

3. What does John say about someone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother (v. 9-11)?

He is still in darkness, and the darkness has blinded his eyes. Hate for a brother invalidates the claim to walk in the light. Further, the darkness is progressive — it blinds, so the person doesn't even realize they are lost. This is why unforgiveness and bitterness are spiritually dangerous: they cloud our spiritual vision.

4. Why does John use such strong language ("liar" in v. 4) about someone who claims to know God but doesn't obey?

Because the stakes are eternal. John is not being harsh for effect — he's preventing self-deception. It's possible to say you know God and be sincerely wrong about it. The moral test (obedience) and the love test (brotherly love) are diagnostic tools, not entrance requirements. John would rather we face an uncomfortable truth now than a devastating one on judgment day.

Primary Resource

Read: Adrian Rogers, "The Evidence of Fellowship" — the fourth sermon covering 1 John 2:3-11. Rogers emphasizes that these verses are not about how to get saved but how to know you are saved.

Read: 1 John 2:3-11 in at least two translations. Compare how different versions handle "the love of God is perfected" (v. 5) — is it God's love for us, our love for God, or God's love expressed through us?

Before Next Lesson

Read 1 John 2:12-14. Ask: What stage of spiritual growth am I in — child, young man, or father — and what is the evidence that I'm moving forward?

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