Chapter
1 2 3 4 5
Verse

1 John 2:29

ESV If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
NIV If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
NASB If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness also has been born of Him.
CSB If you know that he is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
NLT Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.
KJV If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

What does 1 John 2:29 mean?

John concludes this passage with a summary. Believers know Jesus Christ is righteous. When we see someone who lives a righteous life like Jesus, we can have confidence the person has fellowship with Him. This is a strong indicator that such a person is born again or saved. Whether or not the opposite is true is not as certain. That is, a struggle with sin cannot be taken as proof that one is unsaved—particularly when seen in other people. The context of this statement is purely positive: godly behavior is a sign of a close relationship with God. John is building towards a key point in 1 John 4:12–16, which is that when a person truly walks with God, God is working directly through them.

Righteous living does not provide salvation; righteous living is the result of salvation. All have sinned and fall short of God's glory (Romans 3:23). Salvation is not earned by works, but is the result of grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). Good works should naturally result from the person who has become a believer (Ephesians 2:10). When they do, such righteous deeds offer evidence that a person has truly come to faith in Christ.
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