1 John 3:14

“We know that we have passed from death to life, &c.] From a death in sin, a moral or spiritual death; which lies in a separation from God, Father, Son, and Spirit; in an alienation from the life of God; in a loss of the image of God, of righteousness, holiness, and knowledge, in which man was created; in a privation of all true sense of sin, and in a servitude to it, which is unto death, and is no other than death: and from a legal death, or death in a legal sense, under the sentence of which all men are, as considered in Adam; and which God's elect are sensible of, when convinced by the Spirit of God, and are in their own apprehension as dead men. Now in regeneration, which is a quickening…”

“We--emphatical; hated though we be by the world, we know what the world knows not. know--as an assured fact. passed--changed our state. Col 1:13, "from the power of darkness . . . translated into the kingdom of His dear Son." from death unto life--literally, "out of the death (which enthrals the unregenerate) into the life (of the regenerate)." A palpable coincidence of language and thought, the beloved disciple adopting his Lord's words. because we love the brethren--the ground, not of our passing over out of death into life, but of our knowing that we have so. Love, on our part, is the evidence of our justification and regeneration, not the cause of them. "Let each go to his own heart; if…”

“We know that we have passed from death unto life - From spiritual death (Notes, Ephesians 2:1) to spiritual life; that is, that we are true Christians. Because we love the brethren - The sentiment here is, that it is an infallible evidence of true piety if we love the followers of Christ as such. See this sentiment illustrated in the notes at John 13:35. But how easy it would seem to be to apply such a test of piety as this! Who cannot judge accurately of his own feelings, and determine whether he loves a Christian because he bears the name and image of the Saviour - loves him the more just in proportion as he bears that image? Who cannot, if he chooses, look beyond the narrow bounds of his…”

“We know - As if he had said, We ourselves could not love our brethren, unless we were passed from spiritual death to life, that is, born of God. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death - That is, is not born of God. And he that is not born of God, cannot love his brother. 1 John 3:15”

“3:14 Having love for our brothers and sisters who are believers is tangible evidence that we have experienced rebirth in Christ and will have eternal life rather than death (i.e., condemnation; see Rom 6:23; Jas 5:20; Rev 21:8).”

“We know: Jo1 2:3, Jo1 5:2, Jo1 5:13, Jo1 5:19, Jo1 5:20; Co2 5:1 we have: Luk 15:24, Luk 15:32; Joh 5:24; Eph 2:1, Eph 2:5 because: Jo1 2:10, Jo1 3:23, Jo1 4:7, Jo1 4:8, Jo1 4:12, Jo1 4:21, Jo1 5:2; Psa 16:3; Mat 25:40; Joh 13:35, Joh 15:12, Joh 15:17; Gal 5:22; Eph 1:15; Col 1:4; Th1 4:9; Heb 6:10, Heb 6:11, Heb 13:1; Pe1 1:22; Pe1 3:8; Pe2 1:7 that loveth: Jo1 2:9, Jo1 2:11, Jo1 4:20; Pro 21:16 1 John 3:15”