“Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”
My Notes
What Does 1 John 4:13 Mean?
"Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit." John identifies the EVIDENCE of mutual indwelling: we know we're in God AND God is in us because He has GIVEN us His Spirit. The Spirit is the PROOF. The giving of the Spirit is the EVIDENCE of the dwelling. The Spirit's presence in us proves GOD'S presence in us. The internal witness confirms the relational reality.
The phrase "hereby know we" (en toutō ginōskomen — by/in this we know) establishes EPISTEMOLOGICAL certainty: John tells you HOW you KNOW. Not 'we hope.' Not 'we feel.' We KNOW — with certainty, with confidence, with assurance. And the basis of the knowing is specific: en toutō — in THIS. The knowledge is grounded in a specific piece of evidence.
The evidence — "he hath given us of his Spirit" (ek tou pneumatos autou dedōken hēmin — from/of His Spirit He has given us) — is the SPIRIT AS GIFT: God GAVE (dedōken — perfect tense: has given and the giving continues) us FROM His Spirit. The 'of' (ek — from, out of) means a PORTION from God's own Spirit. The Spirit dwelling in the believer is God's OWN Spirit — shared, given, imparted. The internal presence of the Spirit IS the proof of the mutual dwelling.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Do you know through the Spirit's presence that you dwell in God and God in you?
- 2.What does the Spirit being the EVIDENCE of mutual indwelling teach about internal proof?
- 3.How does the Spirit being GIVEN (not earned) describe the gift-nature of assurance?
- 4.What experience of the Spirit confirms the mutual dwelling in your daily life?
Devotional
How do you KNOW you're in God and God is in you? Because He gave you His Spirit. The Spirit IS the evidence. The Spirit IS the proof. The internal presence of God's own Spirit in you proves the mutual dwelling: you in Him, He in you. The Spirit is the witness that the relationship is REAL.
The 'hereby know we' gives CERTAINTY about the INVISIBLE: the mutual indwelling (we in God, God in us) is INVISIBLE — you can't see it, measure it, photograph it. But you can KNOW it — with certainty, with confidence. And the knowledge is based on the SPIRIT'S presence. The invisible relationship is confirmed by the invisible-but-experienced Spirit.
The 'he hath given us of his Spirit' makes the Spirit a GIFT and a PORTION: the Spirit is GIVEN (not earned, not achieved, not purchased — given freely by God). And the Spirit is 'of His' — FROM God's own Spirit. The portion shared with the believer is from God's OWN Spirit. The Spirit in you isn't a secondary spirit. It's GOD'S Spirit — shared, given, imparted as a gift that becomes the evidence.
The MUTUAL DWELLING is the reality the Spirit proves: 'we dwell in him AND he in us.' TWO directions. TWO dwellings. The believer is IN God. God is IN the believer. Both simultaneously. Both proven by the same evidence: the Spirit given. The Spirit bridges both directions. The Spirit is IN you (proving God is in you). The Spirit connects you TO God (proving you are in God).
Do you KNOW — through the Spirit's presence — that the mutual dwelling is real?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us,.... That there is a communion between God and us, and a communication…
Hereby know we that we dwell in him - Here is another, or an additional evidence of it. Because he hath given us of his…
As the Spirit of truth is known by doctrine (thus spirits are to be tried), it is known by love likewise; and so here…
This should be compared with 1Jn 3:24, to which it is closely parallel. There, as here, the gift of the Spirit is the…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture