John presents us with three themes—obeying, loving, and believing—and he uses them in three ways: as tests, as directions, and as signs.

Tests
The evidence that a person knows God is that he or she obeys God’s commands, loves God’s people, and believes in God’s Son. A person who knowingly resists God’s commands is not a Christian. A person who says, “I love God,” may sound very spiritual, but if he, at the same time, hates his brother, his claim is false. And if a person claims to be from God, but she denies Jesus Christ, she is a liar. These are tests by which we may discern those who are in Christ.

Directions
Obeying, loving, and believing are God’s directions for our lives. They suggest questions you could use when you lack assurance: 1) Am I choosing not to obey one of God’s commands? 2) Am I carrying bitterness or resentment toward someone? 3) Am I relying on my attempts to live the Christian life rather than relying on Jesus? If your answer is “yes” to any of these, you should not be surprised that you lack assurance.

Signs
John gives us three signs for recognising the work of God in our lives—believing, loving, and obeying. You might think, Well, I don’t see much of this fruit in my life. How many apples do you need to see before you can conclude that you’re looking at an apple tree? Not many. The tree may not be loaded with fruit, but if you can see even a few small apples, you can say with confidence, “It’s an apple tree!” And the more fruit you see, the more peace and joy you will have, knowing that you truly are in Christ.

What evidence of belief—even if only “a few small apples”—do you see in your own life?