He is the atoning sacrifice [propitiation] for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)
This is the work Christ has done for the whole world. But, only those who come to know Jesus can take eternal advantage of this work. And how can one take advantage? In the next verse of 1 John we are told, We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. Then, in 1 John 2:5, But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him; whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. See also John 15:9-10.
The apostle John expands on this concept in 1 John 3:24 where he states, 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.
All Christian believers, it would seem, would like to be sure that they are in Christ and that they truly know him. The above verses provide abundant and clear instructions for how this is accomplished.
