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1 John 3:14
We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth nothis brother abideth in death.

1 John 1:8
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

John 13:35
By this shall allmen know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

shall.

1 John 3:21
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not,then have we confidence toward God.

Isaiah 32:17
And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

Hebrews 6:10,11
For Godis not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister…

assure.

Romans 4:21
And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Romans 8:38
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

2 Timothy 1:12
For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

and will assure our hearts in His presence
The assurance mentioned here is an internal confidence before God, which is crucial for believers who may struggle with doubt or condemnation. The heart, in biblical terms, often represents the center of one's being, including emotions, will, and intellect. Assurance in God's presence is tied to living in accordance with His commandments and loving one another, as highlighted in 1John 3:18. This assurance is not based on human merit but on the transformative work of the Holy Spirit, who testifies to our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16). The presence of God is a recurring theme throughout Scripture, from the tabernacle in the Old Testament to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, signifying God's desire for a personal relationship with His people.

John opens with a connective phrase that points backward to the practical love he has just described (1 John 3:17-18). “By this” refers to the evidence of genuine love in deed and truth. When sacrificial love becomes visible, it supplies proof. The same idea appears inJohn 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another”. The Lord never leaves assurance floating in feelings; He anchors it in observable obedience.

Here John promises certainty, not guesswork. “We will know” speaks to confident recognition, echoing1 John 2:3, “By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments”. The Christian faith is rooted in objective revelation, so assurance flows from facts—what Christ has done and how that work bears fruit in believers.

Helpful checkpoints:

• Examine whether love motivates your actions (2 Corinthians 13:5).

• Recall specific times obedience replaced self-interest (Philippians 2:3-4).

These concrete memories feed the heart with knowledge rather than doubt.

“Belong to the truth” underscores identity. We do not merely acknowledge truth; we are of it, born from it (John 18:37). Truth here is not an abstract concept but the Person and message of Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Living out love demonstrates that our origins are in Him, just as fruit reveals the nature of a tree (Matthew 7:17-18).

Assurance is John’s pastoral goal. Consciences often accuse (1 John 3:20), yet visible obedience quiets those accusations. The term “assure” carries the sense of persuading or tranquilizing the inner voice. David experienced something similar inPsalm 42:5, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? ... Put your hope in God”.

Practical steps for heart-assurance:

• Recall God’s promises aloud (Romans 8:1).

• Recount acts of love He has empowered in you (Hebrews 6:10).

• Refuse to let feelings trump the record of God’s work (1 John 4:4).

All assurance ultimately occurs “before Him.” The believer lives coram Deo—before the face of God—whether in prayer today (Hebrews 4:16) or at the final judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10). John links present assurance with future confidence: “so that when He appears, we may be confident…” (1 John 2:28). Knowing we are heard and accepted now prepares us to stand unashamed then.

John ties assurance to action. When love moves from lip to life, we gain concrete evidence that we are rooted in Christ’s unchanging truth. This evidence quiets self-accusation and lets us stand confidently before God—today and on the day we see Him face to face.

(1) whetherπείσομεν is coordinate withγνωσόμεθα orἐσμέν;

(2) if the former, whetherἐν τούτῳ goes on toπείσομεν, or is confined toγνωσόμεθα;

(3) whether we should readὅ τι ἐάν orὅτι ἐὰν. . . .

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