1 John 4:13

1Jn_4:13

Hereby know we that we dwell in Him and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit

The evidences of true religion in man

The exercises of the mind, influenced by the Holy Spirit, are the evidences of true religion in man.

The state of the mind is known only by its exercises; and spiritual exercises indicate the operations of the Spirit of Christ.

I. Self-abasement is a certain evidence of true religion. It is a gracious exercise, the effect of a saving work of the Spirit in the soul.

II. Entire dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ is certain evidence of a state of grace.

III. Submission to the law of Christ is an evidence of true godliness.

IV. Joy in God, the Saviour of the soul, is an evidence of piety. (A. Macleod, D. D.)

The work of the Holy Spirit

The recovery of man to his lost righteousness must be by means of an agency from above. The strong evil element in our nature must be dispossessed by a stronger element for good.

I. The nature of the agent spoken of. Who and what is the Holy Spirit? He is a Divine Being, of one substance, majesty, and glory with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God. But what is this work of the Holy Spirit in man, in regard to his salvation? In the text, it is set forth as the occupation or possession of the soul by a Divine principle, designed so to counteract the evil of our nature as to admit of our restored fellowship with God. The Spirit in us is heavens witness and heavens interpreter. Through Him Christ becomes Immanuel, God with us. It is when we are strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man, and not before, that Christ dwells in our hearts by faith.

II. What is the appointed medium and method of this Spirits operations? and how is this renovating influence brought into effective contact with the human spirit? The result is commonly effected through the instrumentality of the revealed Word, Being born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God.

1. In these passages the Word is spoken of as an instrument only. It is only when the Spirit takes the veil away that it can be said of us, The entrance of Thy Word giveth light.

2. But if the Word does not convert without the Spirit, so neither, as a rule, does the Spirit convert without the Word; that is, without taking of the facts and statements of revelation, and through them, as a medium, operating upon the religious conscience.

3. In what way does the Holy Spirit ordinarily bring about in us these convictions? Is the influence absolutely miraculous, or is it bestowed in entire harmony with the known laws of mind? Plainly the latter. Taking the written Word as the instrument, the Spirit acts through the natural conscience--using that term in its broad theological acceptation, as describing the judgment which a man passes upon the rightfulness of his own conduct. And this He does by reviving its impressions; by strengthening its empire; by restoring its delicacy of moral perception, and then presenting to it objects suited to its new condition and worthy of its awakened powers. Conscience, of itself, may reprove of sin; but it must be conscience with the spirit that turns the sinner. Conscience may witness to the law, that it is broken; to God, that He is offended; to retribution, that it is awaiting us; but the Spirit only can witness to the impiety of rejecting Christ and the guilt of neglecting so great salvation. And this view of the method of the Spirits working, through the Word upon the conscience, will be found to be entirely congruous with the principles of our mental and moral constitution. He does not give us any new physical power to turn, but He gives us the inclination and the willingness. And the bias of inclination is that which constrains to action. As Sir William Hamilton has well expressed it, The greatest spontaneity is the greatest necessity. We are not driven by the Spirit, but we are led. (D. Moore, M. A.)

Gods life in man

It is said that the finest rose tree in the world is one in Holland, which a few years ago had six thousand flowers in bloom at the same time. The poor brier in the hedgerow might well despair of rivalling that wonderful rose tree and attaining worldwide distinction. But if some kindly hand could transplant it to a choicer soil, and give it nurture of needful skill, and if some bud from that wonderful Dutch tree could be grafted into its central fibres, the poor despised growth of the hedgerow might hope one day to bear its thousand blooms, and be the wonder of a nation. And poor in all high moral and spiritual qualities as we ourselves may be, grudging in sacrifice, ignoble in spirit, grovelling in motive, yet if God infix His own life within us, no limit can be put to our spiritual development. (T. G. Selby.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Jn 4:13-14. Hereby — Εν τουτω, by this, we know — Have full proof; that we dwell, μενομεν, we abide in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit — In the enlightening, quickening, renewing, and comforting influences thereof. Some commentators understand the apostle as speaking here of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit; but surely these gifts, of whatever kind they might be, never were to any man a certain evidence of his possessing real piety and union with God, as is manifest from our Lord’s words, (Mat 7:22,) Many will say to me in that day of final judgment, We have prophesied in thy name, &c.; then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, &c. And St. Paul (1Co 13:2) declares, that though a man had such a measure of miracle-working faith, that he could remove mountains, yet if he had not love to God and mankind, it would profit him nothing. The ordinary graces of the Spirit, such as are enumerated Gal 5:22-23; Eph 5:9; Col 3:12-17; Rom 12:9-21, are certain evidences of a person’s being a child of God; but the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit are not, inasmuch as they sometimes have been and still may be possessed by persons destitute of true religion. And we have seen — Or known; by undoubted evidence, ourselves; and therefore do boldly testify to others; that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world — And that it is in and by him alone, how proudly soever the unbelieving and carnal world may reject and disdain him, that present and eternal salvation can be obtained. These things are the foundation and the criteria of our abiding in God and God in us, namely, the communion of the Spirit, spoken of 1Jn 4:13, and the confession of the Son, 1Jn 4:15.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Jn 4:13. Ὅτι ἐκ, because of) Where the Spirit of God is, there is God.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Jn_4:13. The token of our fellowship with God (ἐν αὐτῷ μένομεν corresponds to the preceding: ἡ ἀγάπη αὐτοῦ … ἐν ἡμῖν) is: ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ δέδωκεν ἡμῖν; comp. 1Jn_3:24. The expression: ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος (instead of τὸ πνεῦμα), is explained by the fact that the πνεῦμα of God is the entire fulness of the life of God operating in believers, of which his share is given to each individual. The expression is not to be connected with the διαίρεσις τῶν χαρισμάτων, of which Paul speaks in 1Co_12:4; 1Co_12:11. Compare Act_2:17; in reference to Christ it is said: οὐκ ἐκ μέτρου δίδωσι τὸ πνεῦμα, Gospel of Joh_3:34. Against the view that by πνεῦμα here love or a similar quality is to be understood, Spener says: it is the Spirit Himself, and not His gifts only, that we receive.[268]

ὅτι does not mean if (Baumgarten-Crusius), for John supposes that his readers are believers, and as such are certainly partakers of the Spirit.

[268] Weiss incorrectly uses this passage as a proof that, whilst Jesus considered the Holy Ghost as a personal being, John had not yet perfectly taken hold of this conception; for even if it be admitted that the expression used here does not specify the personality of the Spirit, yet it is in no way contradictory to it. Besides, Weiss himself admits that the passage: τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια. (chap. 1Jn_5:6), points to the personality of the Spirit.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Jn 4:13 . Cf. 1Jn 3:24 . The argument is that God would not have granted us this priceless gift if he were not in intimate relation with us and had not a steadfast purpose of grace toward us.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hereby--"Herein." The token vouchsafed to us of God's dwelling (Greek, "abide") in us, though we see Him not, is this, that He hath given us "of His Spirit" (Jo1 3:24). Where the Spirit of God is, there God is. ONE Spirit dwells in the Church: each believer receives a measure "of" that Spirit in the proportion God thinks fit. Love is His first-fruit (Gal 5:22). In Jesus alone the Spirit dwelt without measure (Joh 3:34).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 13. Hereby know we, c.] See note on 1Jo 3:24.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13. This should be compared with 1Jn_3:24, to which it is closely parallel. There, as here, the gift of the Spirit is the proof of God’s abiding presence: but there this is connected with keeping His commandments; here it is connected with the special duty of brotherly love.

he hath given us of his Spirit] We receive ‘of His Spirit’ (ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος): of Christ alone was it said in the fullest sense ‘not by measure’ is the Spirit given to him (Joh_3:34). Christians are sometimes said to receive the Spirit (Gal_3:2-3; Gal_3:5; Gal_4:6), sometimes of the Spirit (see on 1Jn_3:24): only the former is true of Christ. See on 2Jn_1:4.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us,.... That there is a communion between God and us, and a communication of his love and grace to us, and an exercise of grace upon him; for God dwells in his people by his Spirit and grace, and they dwell in him by the exercise of faith and love upon him: and this is known,

because he hath given us of his Spirit: not of the essence and nature of the Spirit, which is the same with the nature of the Father and of the Son, and is incommunicable; but either of the gifts of the Spirit, which are divided to every man as he pleases, and which being bestowed on men, and used by them, for the profit and advantage of the church of God, show that God is with them, and dwells among them of a truth; or of the graces of the Spirit, such as faith, hope, and love, which are each the gifts of God; and these being bestowed and exercised, are proofs of the mutual indwelling of God and his people; See Gill on Jo1 3:24.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

Ver. 13. He hath given us of his Spirit] That is, of the fruits of his Spirit, his holy motions and graces. For through the two golden pipes the two olive branches empty out of themselves the golden oils of all precious graces, into the candlestick, the Church.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hereby know we that we dwell in him - Here is another, or an additional evidence of it.

Because he hath given us of his Spirit - He has imparted the influences of that Spirit to our souls, producing “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,” etc., Gal 5:22-23. It was one of the promises which the Lord Jesus made to his disciples that he would send the Holy Spirit to be with them after he should be withdrawn from them, Joh 14:16-17, Joh 14:26; Joh 15:26; Joh 16:7, and one of the clearest evidences which we can have that we are the children of God, is derived from the influences of that Spirit on our hearts. See this sentiment illustrated in the notes at Rom 8:16.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The near inward union between him and us, is best to be discerned by the operations of his Spirit, which is the Spirit of all love and goodness, 1Jo 3:24; Eph 5:9.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13. His Spirit—Which is itself at once love and light, warming us with itself, and showing itself to be of God.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Almost identical with 1Jn_3:24. In verses 1-7 the apostle says that confession of the Incarnation proves possession of the Spirit; and in verse 12 that love of the brethren proves the indwelling of God. He now (verse 13) goes on to say that possession of the Spirit proves the indwelling of God; and (verse 15) that confession of the Incarnation proves the same. So that these four facts confession of the Incarnation, possession of the Spirit, love of our fellow-men, and indwelling of God mutually involve one another. St. John does not say, "He has given us his Spirit," but "of his Spirit ejk tou Pneumatov aujtou. It is impossible for us to receive more than a portion; the fullness of the Spirit is possessed by Christ alone. In Joh_1:16 we have a similar use of ejk. (comp Joh_12:3)

God-likeness the seal of a Divine indwelling.

Connecting link: This verse is closely allied to the verse preceding. Though no one has at any time seen God, yet God is within us if his love is reproduced in us by the new birth of the Holy Ghost. Hence our present topic Conformity to God the proof that God is the Life of our lives. There is in some respects a considerable resemblance between this verse 1Jn_3:24. But the student desiring to be exact in his unfolding of the writer"s words will note

(1) that the complexion of words is much modified by their connection; and

(2) that often as the apostle seems to use approximately the same words, yet what seems at first sight to be but a very slight variation will, when he catches the precise hue of each clause, start him on a distinctly different line of thought and teaching. Here, set in relation to the context, the apostle"s teaching manifestly is this In possessing, and in being possessed by, a spirit of love, we are conscious of a life that is from God himself, who is Love.

I HERE IS A FACT ASSERTED. "He hath given us of his Spirit." Both the Gospel and the Epistles of John are Trinitarian. The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, all are there, each fulfilling his own part in the saving work.

The Father the Origin, the Son the Channel, the Spirit the Agent, in the redemptive economy. The Father sends the Son. The Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Father plans the redeeming work. The Son carries it out objectively for man. The Spirit applies it subjectively in man. It is the last-named act which is specified here.

1. The Spirit of God comes within man, freely. "Given." The gift of the Spirit within is as gratuitous on God"s part as the gift of his dear Son. He is bestowed by the Son, as the Gift of the Father"s love (Luk_11:13; Joh_1:33 Joh 14:16, Joh_14:17)

2. The Spirit of God, when within us, controls us. We are "led by the Spirit;" we "live in the Spirit;" we "walk in the Spirit;" and the entire direction of the new life is in his gracious hands.

3. The Spirit of God, by controlling us, transforms us. We come to love as God loves. We come to be, in our measure, as the governing force of our spirits is. And since that is love, we love; we catch the holy impulse of the self-sacrificing zeal; and yearn to lay ourselves out for those around us.

II THIS TRANSFORMATION TO THE DIVINE LIKENESS IS THE PROOF AND SEAL OF A DIVINE INDWELLING. This may be set in two ways.

1. Positively.

(1) This dwelling of God in the heart is what is promised (Joh_14:23).

(2) This is the conscious experience. (Rom_5:5)

(3) This is the actual power. (Gal_2:20)

The living on another, drawing our life, joy, love, might, all from another, is as real to us as the air we breathe. And if we have any likeness to God, it is to God himself we owe it, and by fellowship with him it is nourished and increased.

2. Negatively. This life of love cannot be attributed to any other cause; for:

(1) It is not natural to us.

(2) We did not get it from man.

(a) Not from the world; for there man turneth "every one to his own way.

(b) Not from the Church; for no one has power to impart the grace of love.

(3) We never caught sight of such love till it was shown us in Christ.

(4) Even then we never shared it till he who died for us breathed the new life within. Oh, if we have come to love like God, it can only be through the gracious indwelling of the God of love!

III THE FACT, SO ACCOUNTED FOR, HAS IN IT MANIFOLD TEACHINGS.

1. For the unregenerate. They should learn what it is they need. Life, life within them!

2. For the inconsistent professors. They want reality, not a sham life.

3. For those who do not know where they are in religion. Let them not waste time in "feeling their pulse;" let them open their hearts to receive God; they will soon know their state then.

4. For those seeking after the evidences of Christianity. They will find them in men filled with the Spirit of God.

5. For the students of history. They wilt find a new world of love, slowly yet surely forming, under the power of the cross and of the Spirit of our God.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. Hereby know we, etc. We know that God dwells in us by the Spirit given us. But we know we have the Spirit by its fruits. The first and greatest of these is love. See Gal. 5:22.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

13. This should be compared with 1Jn 3:24, to which it is closely parallel. There, as here, the gift of the Spirit is the proof of God’s abiding presence: but there this is connected with keeping His commandments; here it is connected with the special duty of brotherly love.

ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ δέδ. We receive of His Spirit. Of Christ alone was it said in the fullest sense that οὐκ ἐκ μέτρου is the Spirit given to Him (Joh 3:34). Christians are said sometimes τὸ Πνεῦμα λαβεῖν (Gal 3:2: comp. 1Jn 4:6), sometimes ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος λαβεῖν, as here. Only the former is true of Christ. See on 1Jn 3:24 and 2Jn 1:4.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13.] In this we know that we are abiding in Him and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit (nearly repeated from ch. 3:24. But why introduced here? In the former verse, the fact of His abiding in us was assured to us, if we love one another. Of this fact, when thus loving, we need a token. Him we cannot see: has He given us any testimony of His presence in us? He has given us such a testimony, in making us partakers of His Holy Spirit. This fact it is to which the Apostle here calls our attention, as proving not the external fact of the sending of the Son (ver. 14), but one within ourselves—the indwelling of God in us, and our abiding in Him. It is obvious that all inferences from the expression ἐκ τοῦ πν. against the personality of the Holy Ghost are quite beside the purpose: compare Act 2:17 with Joe 2:28 (Heb. and E. V.). We each have the indwelling of one and the same personal Spirit, but each according to our measure, 1Co 12:4, 1Co 12:11. One only had the Spirit without measure, in all His fulness: even Christ; Joh 3:34. And the presence of the Holy Spirit is most aptly adduced here where love is in question, His first fruit being love, and His presence being tested by His fruits).

14, 15,

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. The writer passes from the facts to Christian consciousness of the facts. We are assured that fellowship between God and us really exists, because he has given us of His Spirit, and the effects of His gifts are permanent. Cf. 3:24, where the same conclusion is reached. For the use of the preposition, cf. Mat 25:28, δότε ἡμῖν ἐκ τοῦ ἐλαίου ὑμῶν. For the general arrangement of the matter, cf. 1Jn 2:5, 1Jn 2:6.

μενομεν] + και ημεις13.

αυτος] + est s. manet sah. boh.: + (?) ο θεοςIa 158 (395).

πῡς] πρσ̄O46(154).

δεδωκεν א B K L al. plur. cat. Ath. Cyr.] εδωκεν13, 27, 29 cscr Ath. Bas. Cyr.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν... in hoc intellegimus V., in this, the possession of the spirit of love, which flows from God, we perceive, we are severally conscious of the fact of the divine indwelling which has been affirmed generally (v. 12, God abideth

in us); and that by continuous and

progressive experience (contrast ἐγνώκαμεν, Ὁ. 16). ἐν αὐτῷ μένομεν... See Additional

Brooke Foss Westcott (1825–1901), The Epistle to the Hebrews (1889) and The Epistles of St John (1883) — public domain (pre-1929). Text recovered from Internet Archive / Google Books OCR scans. Westcott’s Gospel of John commentary is not included (its OCR lost the chapter running-heads required for reliable verse-keying). Some Greek quoted in the Hebrews volume is imperfectly rendered by the OCR.