How do we know?

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 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 2v3-5

How do we know if we know Him? How do we deal with wondering whether or not we really are saved? How is the love of God perfected in us?

True, we are saved by grace through faith alone – no doubt about that. There can also no doubt that genuine salvation is going to produce a change. 1 John has a lot to say about a supposed Christians living in and walking in regular sin. Being in the light and living in darkness simply don’t match up. Claiming to know God and not keeping His commandments are also incompatible. We can’t have both. We can’t claim to know Him and act like we know the world even more.

So how do we know that we know Him? We know by our lives. If our lifestyle is one of keeping His word we can know that we know Him. If not, we had better do a spiritual check-up!