1 John 4:13

13 By this we know that we reside in him and he in us: that he has given us of his Spirit.

1 John 4:13 Meaning and Commentary

1 John 4:13

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 1 John 3:24).

1 John 4:13 In-Context

11 Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God resides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we reside in him and he in us: that he has given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son [to be the] Savior of the world.
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him and he in God.

Footnotes 1

Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.