1 John 3 · Verse 24

1 John 3:24

And 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.

1 John 3:24, King James Version

1 John 3:24 in other translations

BSB	Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.
WEB	He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.
ASV	And he that keepeth his commandments abideth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.
YLT	and he who is keeping His commands, in Him he doth remain, and He in him; and in this we know that He doth remain in us, from the Spirit that He gave us.
DARBY	And he that keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given to us.
BBE	He who keeps his laws is in God and God is in him. And the Spirit which he gave us is our witness that he is in us.
Webster	And he that keepeth his commandments, dwelleth in him, and he in him. And by this we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

What does 1 John 3:24 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

24. dwelleth in him--The believer dwelleth in Christ. and he in him--Christ in the believer. Reciprocity. "Thus he returns to the great keynote of the Epistle, abide in Him, with which the former part concluded" (1Jo 2:28). hereby--herein we (believers) know that he abideth in us, namely, from (the presence in us of) the Spirit "which He hath given us." Thus he prepares, by the mention of the true Spirit, for the transition to the false "spirit," 1Jo 4:1-6; after which he returns again to the subject of love.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 24. And he that keepeth his commandments, etc. Jn 14:23.

And hereby we know that he abideth in us. That is, this is another certain evidence that we are true Christians. The Saviour had promised (Jn 14:23) that he would come and take up his abode with his which people. John says that we have proof that he does this by the Spirit he has given us. That is, the Holy Spirit is imparted to his people to enlighten their minds; to elevate their affections; to sustain them in times of trial; to quicken them in the performance of duty; and to imbue them with the temper and spirit of the Lord Jesus. When these effects exist, we may be certain that the Spirit of God is with us; for these are the "fruits" of that Spirit, or these are the effects which he produces in the lives of men. Comp. Gal 5:22, Gal 5:23. On the evidence of piety here referred to, Rom 8:9, Rom 8:14, Rom 8:16. No man can be a true Christian in whom that Spirit does not constantly dwell, or to whom he is not "given." And yet no one can determine that the Spirit dwells in him, except by the effects produced in his heart and life. In the following chapter, the apostle pursues the subject suggested here, and shows that we should examine ourselves closely, to see whether the "Spirit" to which we trust, as furnishing evidence of piety, is truly the Spirit of God, or is a spirit of delusion.

(f) "he that keepeth" Jn 14:23, 15:10 (g) "hereby" Rom 8:9,14

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 24 Dwelleth in him - i.e. in God; and he - God, in him - the believer. And hereby we know - We know by the Spirit which he hath given us that we dwell in God, and God in us. It was not by conjecture or inference that Christians of old knew they were in the favor of God, it was by the testimony of God's own Spirit in their hearts; and this testimony was not given in a transient manner, but was constant and abiding while they continued under the influence of that faith that worketh by love. Every good man is a temple of the Holy Ghost, and wherever he is, he is both light and power. By his power he works; by his light he makes both himself and his work known. Peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost must proceed from the indwelling of that Holy Spirit; and those who have these blessings must know that they have them, for we cannot have heavenly peace and heavenly joy without knowing that we have them. But this Spirit in the soul of a believer is not only manifest by its effects, but it bears its own witness to its own indwelling. So that a man not only knows that he has this Spirit from the fruits of the Spirit, but he knows that he has it from its own direct witness. It may be said, "How can these things be?" And it may be answered, By the power, light, and mercy of God. But that such things are, the Scriptures uniformly attest, and the experience of the whole genuine Church of Christ, and of every truly converted soul, sufficiently proves. As the wind bloweth where it listeth, and we cannot tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth, so is every one that is born of the Spirit: the thing is certain, and fully known by its effects; but how this testimony is given and confirmed is inexplicable. Every good man feels it, and knows he is of God by the Spirit which God has given him.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 John 3:22-24

When believers had confidence towards God, through the Spirit of adoption, and by faith in the great High Priest, they might ask what they would of their reconciled Father. They would receive it, if good for them. And as good-will to men was proclaimed from heaven, so good-will to men, particularly to the brethren, must be in the hearts of those who go to God and heaven. He who thus follows Christ, dwells in Him as…

Read the full comment on 1 John 3:22-24 →

1 John 3:24 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532

ὁhothe [one]G3588

τηρῶνtērōnkeepingG5083

τὰςtastheG3588

ἐντολὰςentolascommandmentsG1785

αὐτοῦautouof HimG846

ἐνeninG1722

αὐτῷautōHimG846

μένει,meneiabides,G3306

καὶkaiandG2532

αὐτὸςautosHeG846

ἐνeninG1722

αὐτῷ.autōhim.G846

καὶkaiAndG2532

ἐνenbyG1722

τούτῳtoutōthisG3778

γινώσκομενginōskomenwe knowG1097

ὅτιhotithatG3754

μένειmeneiHe abidesG3306

ἐνeninG1722

ἡμῖν,hēminus,G3165

ἐκekbyG1537

τοῦtoutheG3588

πνεύματοςpneumatosSpiritG4151

οὗhouwhomG3739

ἡμῖνhēminto usG3165

ἔδωκεν.¶edōkenHe has given.G1325

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 John 3:24

1 Corinthians 3:16
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1 John 4:15-16
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
1 John 4:12-13
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:19
What? 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?
2 Timothy 1:14
That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.
1 John 2:6
He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
John 14:21-23
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Romans 8:9-17
But 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. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. …
John 6:54-56
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
John 17:21
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
1 John 3:22
And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

he that.
22; Joh 14:21-23; 15:7-10
dwelleth.
4:7,12,15,16; Joh 6:54-56; 17:21; 1Co 3:16; 6:19; 2Co 6:16; 2Ti 1:14
we.
4:13; Ro 8:9-17; Ga 4:5,6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

1 John 3:23
And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1 John 3:24
And 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.

Read all of 1 John 3

1 John 3:24 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y el que guarda sus mandamientos, está en él, y él en él. Y en esto sabemos que él permanece en nosotros, por el Espíritu que nos ha dado.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	et celui qui garde ses commandements demeure en lui, et lui en cet homme; et par ceci nous savons qu’il demeure en nous, savoir par l’Esprit qu’il nous a donné.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und wer seine Gebote hält, bleibt in ihm, und er in ihm; und hieran erkennen wir, daß er in uns bleibt, durch den Geist, den er uns gegeben hat.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Et qui servat mandata ejus, in illo manet, et ipse in eo: et in hoc scimus quoniam manet in nobis, de Spiritu quem dedit nobis.