First John 2:3 says that we can tell we truly know God by whether we keep his commandments. The verse is about evidence: a claim to know God is tested by a life that follows him. The apostle John wrote this to the churches he cared for, believers who needed to tell genuine faith from empty talk.
This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commandments.
1 John 2:3 (WEB)
What 1 John 2:3 Means
The phrase “this is how we know that we know him” is the heart of the verse. John is not asking whether we feel close to God or whether we can recite a creed. He is pointing to a visible sign, the way someone’s conduct reveals what they truly believe. Knowing God, in John’s mind, is never only an inward feeling. It shows up in what a person does.
The “commandments” John has in mind are God’s commands as shared through Jesus and the apostolic teaching, especially the call to love one another. Keeping them means actually living by them, not just agreeing with them in principle. The verse does not promise that obedience earns a relationship with God, since John elsewhere says God’s love comes first. It does say that a real relationship with God will bear fruit in obedience.
The Context of 1 John 2:3
First John was written to a community that was being troubled by people who claimed special spiritual knowledge while living carelessly. Traditionally the letter is attributed to the apostle John, and the audience appears to be believers in the churches of Asia Minor. John was alarmed that words about God were being separated from the way people lived, so he keeps returning to the test of obedience.
The verses just before this one say that Jesus is the one who speaks for us to the Father and the one whose sacrifice covers the sins of the whole world. The verses just after say that anyone who claims to know God but disobeys is a liar. Read in that setting, verse 3 is not a harsh demand. It is a grace-filled reminder that forgiveness and fellowship with God lead naturally to a changed life.
Key Phrases in 1 John 2:3
1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God.
(WEB)
This verse connects knowing God directly with love for others. It helps explain the commandments in 2:3, showing that love is the first mark of someone who has come to know God and been born of him.
John 14:15
If you love me, keep my commandments.
(WEB)
Here Jesus himself links love for him with keeping his commandments. Reading it alongside 1 John 2:3 shows that the apostle was passing on the teaching of Jesus, and that obedience grows out of love rather than fear.
A Short Prayer From 1 John 2:3
Lord, you have shown me that knowing you is not only a matter of what I say but of how I live. I confess the places where my words about you and my actions have drifted apart. Forgive me, and gently show me the next step of obedience you are asking of me today.
Help me to love the people around me in practical ways, and to keep your commandments with a willing heart. Let my life become honest evidence of the faith you have given me. Thank you for your patience and your grace. Amen.
