Many things in the Bible are not clearly and precisely explained in Scripture, as we would like, because they don’t deal with the main reasons we have God’s written word, that is, the issue of sin, how to get forgiven and how to enter God’s kingdom after death. Just one example of a Bible mystery is, what did the devil want with Moses’ body (Jude 9)? 
However, some important Biblical issues are clearly stated to the point of knowing about them, and they are related in one way or another to salvation. The Apostle John, who also gave us the Gospel of John, especially stated such and these are recorded in 1 John:
● But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: (1 John 2:5)
COMMENT: Obeying God’s word is the basic way to identify a righteous person, a person who is in Christ. Obeying God’s word includes believing in Jesus Christ (1 John 3:23) and that includes repentance.
● Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. (1 John 2:18)
COMMENT: The many antichrists that existed in John’s day (before the one main antichrist mentioned in Rev. 13) is proof that even back then, 2,000 years ago, was the last hour.
●This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:10)
COMMENT: 1 John 3:10 is essentially the same as 1 John 2:5. Obeying God’s word is the same as doing what is right and loving the Christian brotherhood.
●This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. (1 John 3:16)
COMMENT: Jesus died for us. That is the only reason he redeemed mankind and that was an incomprehensible act of love on his part. We are to love the Christian brotherhood to the point of dying for them.
● This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence (1 John 3:19)
COMMENT: 1 John 3:18-20 says if we love in action and in truth, we KNOW we belong to the truth (Jesus) and how we can set out hearts at rest in God’s presence.
● Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. (1 John 3:24)
COMMENT: Again, it is clear that OBEDIENCE to God’s commands is the proof that God lives in Christians. We are the temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16,17) and God gives eternal salvation to those who obey him (Heb. 5:9).
● This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. (1 John 5:2)
COMMENT: We know we love the children of God by loving God and obeying God’s commands. Did you KNOW those things? IF not, you should now.
