Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
Parallel translations
- WEB By this we know that we remain in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
- BSB By this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit.
- NKJV By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
- NASB By this we know that we remain in Him and He in us, because He has given to us of His Spirit.
- NLT And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
We know we abide in God and he in us because he has given us his Spirit. The indwelling Spirit is the assurance of our union with God.
Overview
John offers a ground of assurance: the Holy Spirit's presence confirms the mutual indwelling between God and the believer. The gift of the Spirit is both a seal of belonging and the source of the love and confession that mark genuine faith. This complements the previous tests of love and right belief, weaving together the Spirit, love, and truth as evidences of new life in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- 1 Jn 3:24And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
- Eph 2:20–22And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
- 1 Cor 3:16–17Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
- Gal 5:22–25But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
- 1 Cor 2:12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
- Rom 8:9–17But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
- 1 Jn 4:15–16Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
- John 14:20–26At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
- 1 Cor 6:19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Jesus is the Word of life made manifest, the propitiation for our sins, the Son in whom is eternal life — 'that you may know that you have eternal life.'
How 1 John 4:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.