1 John 4:13 (DBY)

Passage

Hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us, that he has given to us of his Spirit.

Nearby Context

1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God has so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:12 No one has seen God at any time: if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us.

1 John 4:13 Hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us, that he has given to us of his Spirit.

1 John 4:14 And *we* have seen, and testify, that the Father has sent the Son [as] Saviour of the world.

1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "hereby", "abide", and "given". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "hereby", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "No one has seen God at any..." into verse 14's "And we have seen and testify that...", so "Spirit" and "hereby" belong inside that flow. In 1 John context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "Spirit" and "hereby" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.