“By this we know…”

Eternal life is not only a quantity of life, but a quality of life. This quality comes not just from knowing about God, but from knowing Him. God wants us to know that we have eternal life, but how can we know for sure? Eight times in 1 John, the Apostle John writes, “By this we know…”

1. “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.” (1 John 2:3)
2. “But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.” (1 John 2:5)
3. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16)
4. “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.” (1 John 3:18-19)
5. “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” (1 John 3:24)
6. “We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (1 John 4:6)
7. “By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” (1 John 4:13)
8. “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.” (1 John 5:2)

Loving God looks like keeping His commandments and laying down our lives for others. This kind of love is made possible through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given to us when we are born again. The word of God says that if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation—the old is gone and the new has come (see 2 Corinthians 5:17)! 

You can know that you have eternal life—simply confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. The Bible says that if you do this, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). Repent (turn away from) your sin and ask God for forgiveness. Believe that Jesus died for your sin and that God raised Him to life. Trust Him as your Savior and follow Him as the Lord of your life.