The Believer Litmus Test
“3 And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know Him” but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in Him: 6 whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked” (1 John 2:3-6, ESV).
Have you ever asked yourself whether you were a true believer in Christ? When I was little, I asked myself this question often, fearing that I may not be truly saved. Even as I grew older, I still wondered at times. If this struggle resonates with you, there is good news: you can know whether you really know Jesus with certainty.
In 1 John, we find a litmus test for us to gauge whether our claim to know Christ is more than a mere claim. 1 John 2:3 tells us plainly, “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” This passage clearly tells us who true believers are: those who obey the commandments of Jesus.
This concept of obedience aligns closely with the idea of “good works” seen in Scripture. In reaction to heretical movements in the history of the church, Christians have often diminished the importance of good works for believers in comparison to the doctrine of “justification by faith” (Galatians 2:16). This truth of justification by faith alone stands as the foundation of our salvation, and we know that works will never justify us before God (Galatians 2:16). The apostle Paul goes so far to tell the Galatians: “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose” (Galatians 2:21). However, the importance of good works and obedience to Christ are still critical to believers. James questions faith without works (James 2:14) and tells us that true faith is evidenced by good works (James 2:18).
With the significance of good works in proper perspective, we find a warning in 1 John 1:4 that elaborates on the litmus test: the person who claims to know Christ but does not obey His commandments lies about knowing Christ (1 John 2:4). Furthermore, we are told that “the truth is not in” such a person (1 John 2:4). This warning stands in contrast to the person who obeys Christ’s commandments, as God’s love “is perfected” in them (1 John 2:5). Essentially, the one who claims to know Jesus yet lives in opposition to His teachings amounts to a “liar,” whereas the one who obeys experiences the “perfected” love of God (1 John 2:4-5).
The litmus test is once again presented in 1 John 2:5-6: “By this we may know that we are in Him: 6 whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.” Therefore, true believers identify with Christ not only in word but in lifestyle. Those who really know Jesus will live out the life Jesus modeled and obey His commandments.
As we reflect on this passage, we must examine our own lives if we proclaim faith in Christ. While works do not save us, they evidence that we truly know the Savior. Do you keep Jesus’ commandments? Does your life reflect the life of Jesus? Can our lives be described as lives of obedience, testifying to our justification and our true relationship with the Savior?
“10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:10).