On the closing day of the 41st Parliament last June, the Conservative government’s final gesture was to stand for the second reading of Bill C-53, the Life Means Life Act. Its stated goal was to lock up the most vile murderers for the rest of their natural lives. Nicholson, responsible for getting much that legislation passed, insists the effort was driven by a prime minister who believed law-abiding Canadians were getting shafted by liberal-minded beliefs that serious, repeat offenders deserve yet another break. The government hit that point home in 2009 by abolishing the faint hope clause, which allowed those convicted of murder to apply for parole after 15 years instead of 25. (http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/how-the-supreme-court-is-dismantling-one-of-the-key-parts-of-stephen-harpers-legacy.)
People seek hope from various venues, but one that has endured through time is spiritual hope. The concept of spiritual hope is analogous to turning on a blazing light in a dark place. It immediately illuminates one’s outlook, uplifts the soul, and produces joy in the heart. Hope introduces life and happiness into this sin-stained and death-filled world (cf. Ps. 146:5; Prov. 10:28; Rom. 5:1–2; 12:12; 15:13; Gal. 5:5; 2 Thess. 2:16; Heb. 3:6). Yet, sadly, most people in this world know nothing of the advantages and privileges that true hope brings. Unbelievers simply do not have “an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast” (Heb. 6:19). In fact, all they have are superficial sources of security—things like narcotics, alcohol, sex, entertainment, materialism, surface-level relationships, and a human-centered desire for a better future. But all of these false hopes are only spiritual mirages that instantly vanish when this life ends (Job 8:13; 27:8; 31:24–28; Prov. 10:28; cf. Eph. 2:12). For the world, “hope” is a mere wish based on a desire or plan,
God always speaks the truth and is faithful to all His Word. Biblical hope is not a wish but an absolute future reality guaranteed by the Lord. Hope is not only foundational to Christian doctrine and the believer’s confidence, but it also has immense ethical implications. Genuine hope will purify the lives of those who possess it (3:3), and thereby verify that they are Christians.
In 1 John, John has already presented doctrinal and moral tests that can determine one’s true spiritual condition, and in 1 John 2:28-3:3 he further elaborates on the moral (ethical) test. Orthodox beliefs about the nature of sin and the person of Christ, the practical presence of sincere love and obedience, and now a personal pursuit of purity and holiness are all evidences that a person has true, eternal hope. 1 John 2:28-3:3 contains five perspectives that further define and clarify the essence of biblical hope: it is 1) Secured by abiding (1 John 2:28), 2) Manifested by righteousness (1 John 2:29), 3) Established by love (1 John 3:1), 4) Fulfilled by Christlikeness (1 John 3:2), and it is 5) Characterized by purity (1 John 3:3).
1) Hope Is Secured by Abiding (1 John 2:28)
1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming (ESV)
The emphatic particle nun (now) introduces a new section and plainly indicates a paragraph break. (It also strongly implies that, despite the modern chapter divisions in the text, chapter 3 should begin at this point.) Having urged his readers to let what they have heard from the beginning influence them, he continues to develop the concept of abiding as it relates to Christ and His return to earth. (Derickson, G. W. (2012). First, Second, and Third John. (H. W. House, W. H. Harris III, & A. W. Pitts, Eds.) (1 Jn 2:28). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.)
John addresses his readers as his ‘little/dear children’ (using teknia, not paidia, this time). That phrase encompasses believers at all levels of maturity (2:12; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21; John 13:33; cf. Rom. 8:16–17; 1 Cor. 4:14; Gal. 4:19; Eph. 5:1; Phil. 2:15; 1 Peter 1:14; 1 John 3:1–2) and expresses John’s continuing fatherly care and concern for the recipients of this letter (cf. 2:12). But the “children” must show the parent’s character (Elwell, W. A. (1995). Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, 1 Jn 2:28). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.)
His readers are called to abide in Christ. To Abide translates a form of the verb menō, which means “to stay” or “to remain.” It is a term the apostle John used frequently in his New Testament writings; for instance, it appears nearly a dozen times in John 15 alone. There Jesus instructed the eleven apostles (Judas having already left; John 13:27–31), “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4; cf. vv. 6, 7, 16). Earlier in this second chapter, John again focused on the importance of abiding in Christ and the general significance of aspects of abiding: “The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 Jn 2:6; cf. vv. 10, 14, 19, 24, 27). Remaining in Christ is the antidote to false belief and unchristian behavior (Marshall, I. H. (1978). The Epistles of John (p. 165). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Please turn to Colossians 1 (p.983)
Neither Christ nor John referred to some mystical, elitist spiritual experience to abide in Him. They commanded believers to persevere daily and sustain their faith in the gospel and in the Christ of the gospel (Mt. 24:13; 1 Cor. 16:13; Gal. 6:9; Phil. 1:27; Col. 1:10, 22–23; 2 Tim. 3:14; Heb. 10:23; 2 Peter 3:18; cf. Pss. 73:24; 138:8; Prov. 4:18). In order to do that, believers must continue to love and obey the Scripture, submit to the direction of the Holy Spirit, and remain committed to the truth they first received (cf. 4:12–13, 15–16; 2 John 2, 9). Such abiding precludes clinging to a habitual pattern of sin (cf. 3:6, 9, 14–15, and 17). The use of the present, active, indicative verb form actually shows a continuous abiding, not a one-time abiding (Womack, M. M. (1998). 1, 2 & 3 John (1 Jn 2:28). Joplin, MO: College Press.).
John’s words are also consistent with Paul’s exhortation to the Colossians to continue in the faith:
Colossians 1:21–23 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.(ESV)
• No one who professes to believe the gospel but then permanently abandons the faith possesses eternal life. Only those who remain faithful to the Lord and His Word, and give evidence of the fruits of righteousness (5:1–5, 10; Matt. 7:17–18; 12:33, 35; John 3:21, 36; 13:35; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 5:22–23; 6:7–8; Eph. 5:9; James 2:14–26; cf. Isa. 3:10; Jer. 17:9–10) by the indwelling power and presence of the Spirit (cf. Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; Gal. 4:6) are truly saved (cf. (1 Jn. 2:19, 23–25).
A crucial aspect of Christian hope is that it will culminate when Jesus Christ comes again, which gives believers strong incentive for godly living (3:3; cf. Col. 3:4; 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 4:8; 2 Peter 3:14).When He appears, faithful saints will have confidence and not shrink away from Him. The expression “When He appears/at His coming (‘parousia’)” John has already used to refer to the first coming of Jesus (1:2; cf. 3:5, 8). The word is actually the passive form of the verb “to reveal” and conveys the thought of the invisible becoming visible. The first coming of Jesus was the revelation of the previously hidden Word of God in human form, so that those with eyes to see could confess, “We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14) Now he is again hidden from view, although he is spiritually present with his disciples, but one day he will again be revealed from heaven. The future appearance of Christ refers especially to the gathering of the church at the rapture (cf. John 14:1–6; 1 Cor. 15:51–54; 1 Thess. 4:13–18) and the activities that will follow at Christ’s judgment seat (cf. 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:9–10). At that time believers will have confidence to approach Christ. That Confidence translates a Greek word (parrēsian) that means “outspokenness” or “freedom of speech.” The thought here is of the confidence with which a person may enter into the royal presence and speak with the king without any fear. It refers to believers’ boldness in approaching God (Heb. 4:16; 10:19; 1 John 3:21; 5:14). It is a natural confidence, since it arises out of an existing relationship expressed in prayer. (Marshall, I. H. (1978). The Epistles of John (p. 165). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
In this verse it indicates an assurance derived from a holy life of abiding in Christ (cf. Eph. 5:27; Col. 1:22; 1 Thess. 3:13; 5:23). In contrast, those who only professed Christ but did not actually possess faith, who are actually unbelievers, will shrink away from Him in shame because they are not genuine children of God (Matt. 13:20–22; cf. John 8:31; 15:6; Heb. 3:6, 12; 6:4–6; 10:39)—their hypocrisy having been evidenced by the fact that they did not persevere in the faith they initially professed. By God’s sovereign grace believers are saved and sanctified, and that same powerful grace will in the resurrection bring them to their full eternal reward at His coming (Titus 2:11–14; Rev. 22:12). How significant is this? In the New Testament one verse in twenty-five deals with the Lord’s return. It is mentioned 318 times in the 260 chapters of the New Testament. It is mentioned in every one of the New Testament books, with the exception of Galatians, which deals with a particular doctrinal problem, and the very short books such as 2 and 3 John and Philemon (Boice, J. M. (2004). The Epistles of John: an expositional commentary (p. 78). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.)
Poem: There was the saying of a farm laborer, engaged in a lowly task, to Robert Louis Stevenson: “always something ahead of him’) need never be weary.” Without the dimension of hope life is empty. As it has been said in verse: Concealed as yet this honour lies, By this dark world unknown,— A world that knew not when he came, Even God’s eternal Son. High is the rank we now possess; But higher we shall rise; Though what we shall hereafter be Is hid from mortal eyes. Our souls, we know, when he appears, Shall bear his image bright; For all his glory, full disclosed, Shall open to our sight. A hope so great, and so divine, May trials well endure; And purge the soul from sense and sin, As Christ himself is pure.(As cited in: Marshall, I. H. (1978). The Epistles of John (pp. 174–175). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
2) Hope Is Manifested by Righteousness (1 John 2:29)
1 John 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. (ESV)
The new birth is inevitably and necessarily accompanied by righteousness (cf. Rom. 6:4; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:10; 4:24). By the same token, all who only profess to be saved but do not demonstrate any tangible fruit of righteousness prove that they are actually unforgiven and have an empty false hope (cf. Luke 6:43–44; James 2:26). Such individuals can make no legitimate claim to eternal promises, since their lives betray a heart that is still unregenerate. Righteous conduct is not a condition for rebirth but a consequence of it (Barker, G. W. (1981). 1 John. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews through Revelation (Vol. 12, p. 330). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
The apostle John asserts first that if believers know (oida) that God is righteous. They should know—not by experience but by instruction—that God is righteous. They can recognize and be sure (ginoskō) that that everyone also who practices righteousness is reflecting His life (cf. 1 Peter 1:13–16); that is, they are born of Him (1 Peter 1:3; cf. John 3:7,). To know (oida) has the sense of perceiving an absolute truth. As they recognize this absolute truth, they experience the impact and are sure of it, by experience,” “recognize,” or “come to perceive.” Thus John reiterates the point that real believers are not verified so much by what they claim as by how they live (Rom. 6:18; cf. Luke 1:6). In 1 John 2:28, the apostle John looks from the effect (righteous behavior) to the cause (the new birth) and shows that righteous living—not mere outward profession—evidences the fact that regeneration has truly taken place (James 2:20, 26; 2 Peter 3:11; cf. Rom. 14:17). He is affirming that “family likeness” is revealed by righteous conduct (Derickson, G. W. (2012). First, Second, and Third John. (H. W. House, W. H. Harris III, & A. W. Pitts, Eds.) (1 Jn 2:29). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press )
Please turn to Romans 12 (p.947)
Of course, John’s call to personal holiness was not a new concept. The book of Leviticus repeatedly sets forth God’s standard of purity and righteousness (e.g., 18:4–5, 30; 19:2, 37; 20:7, 26; 22:32). In the New Testament, Paul’s letters continually exhort believers to pursue holiness. Those who are born of Him have both an identity and responsibility that is consistent with their privileges as God’s children (Akin, D. L. (2001). 1, 2, 3 John (Vol. 38, p. 127). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
Romans 12:1–2 is a notable and familiar example:
Romans 12:1–2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.(ESV) (cf. 2 Cor. 7:1; Eph. 5:27; 1 Thess. 4:7; 1 Peter 1:14–16; 2:11)
• Because Christ has given Himself entirely to us (v.1), we are to present our bodies, representative of our entire selves, to God. We are able to do this, through a regenerated mind and body. This enables testing and discerning, which means finding out the worth of something by putting it to use or testing it in actual practice (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2179). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
Illustration: 5280 MacArthur On Armageddon
Standing on the battleship U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo harbor, September 2, 1945, General Douglas MacArthur uttered a profound warning: “We have had our last chance,” he said. “If we do not now devise some greater and more equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door. The problem basically is theological and involves …. an improvement of human character that will synchronize with our … advance in science, … material and cultural developments. It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh.” (Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 1198). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.)
• If we are not “born again/born of Him” no scientific, economic, cultural or philosophical change will save humanity.
3) Hope Is Established by Love (1 John 3:1)
1 John 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (ESV)
John was overcome with wonder by the fact that sinners by divine grace became God’s children. The opening phrase of this verse, see what kind/how great of love, reflects the apostle’s amazement. The word translated see (idete) is both a command and an exclamation that exhorts readers to give close attention to the rest of the statement. The adjective rendered “what kind/what manner/how great” (potapēn) occurs only seven times in the New Testament and implies a reaction of astonishment, and usually of admiration, upon viewing some person or thing. The expression conveys both a qualitative and quantitative force, “what glorious, measureless love!” (D. Edmond Hiebert . The Epistles of John [Greenville, S.C.: Bob Jones University Press, 1991], 133; cf. Matt. 8:27; 2 Peter 3:11)
God loves believers with a love that is impossible to articulate in any human language and that is utterly foreign to normal human understanding and experience. This is agapē love, God’s volitional love that He, of His own free and uninfluenced choice, has given/bestowed on all whom He has called to savingly believe in Jesus Christ. The Lord summarized it this way: “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). (cf. 1 John 4:9–10; cf. vv. 16, 19; John 3:16; Rom. 5:8; 8:39; Eph. 2:4; Titus 3:4) Such love seeks, at a great cost to itself, but only to give freely and spontaneously for the benefit of another, even if that person is not worthy of such an expression (cf. Deut. 7:7–8). It is this specific and unique love of God for His own that stands as one of the unshakeable foundations of eternal hope. The perfect tense is used here to indicate that the gift becomes a permanent possession of the recipient. God has placed His love upon the saints in the sense that they have become the permanent objects of His love. (Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (1 Jn 3:1). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.)
Believers can live in hope because they have experienced God’s love in an eternal, saving way—having been adopted into His family (Rom. 8:16) and called children of God (John 1:12; cf. 2 Peter 1:4). They became His children solely because He lavishly bestowed on them a gracious, unmerited, sovereign love apart from any that has human merit. Such love is inexplicable in human terms. John includes himself with his readers among those (‘we’) who are called the children (tekna) of God. To be called children of God is an immense privilege because it means that God himself has chosen us to be in his family. The best commentary on what it means to be children of God is found in John 1:12–13 (‘Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God’). Looked at from a human point of view, those who ‘receive’ Christ, in the sense of believing in him, are children of God. Looked at from the divine point of view, his children are those who are ‘born of God’, or as Jesus puts it in John 3:8, those who are ‘born of the Spirit (Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John (p. 115). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.)
It is not surprising, then, that the world does not know the nature of the relationship between God and His children (cf. Heb. 11:38a), because it did not know Him. Those outside of Christ cannot fathom (1 Cor. 2:15–16; 1 Peter 4:3–4) the true essence and character of believers, which shines forth in their likeness to the heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, their Savior and Lord (Matt. 5:16; Phil. 2:15; 1 Peter 2:12; cf. 1 Cor. 14:24–25). The Father’s love stands in grim contrast to some expressions of parental love of the era. While the natural love of father for children was of course present, it is also true that human fathers in the Greco-Roman world were not always affectionate or even equitable. Children might be abused and were often unwanted. When they were born, a father was free to order them to be “exposed,” taken to an out-of-the-way place and left to die. Church father Tertullian notes that under the proconsulship of Tiberius in North Africa, children were sacrificed to Saturn; across the empire children were killed “by drowning or by exposure to cold and hunger and dogs” (Apology 9). Childhood was by no means always a time of safety and nurture in such an age. Nor is childhood today a time of safety, with child neglect a perennial problem and abortion on demand an international, and especially North American, horror. (Yarbrough, R. W. (2008). 1–3 John (p. 176). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.)
Please turn to Hebrews 11 (p.1008)
Even for believers it is a challenge “to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge” (Eph. 3:18–19a). Because Christians are so intrinsically different from the world around them, because of the work of the Father in them.
Reflecting on how and why believers in God are different, the writer to the Hebrews said:
Hebrews 11:13–16 13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. (ESV)
• New Testament appropriately describes believers as “strangers and exiles” (Heb. 11:13), “aliens” (1 Peter 1:1), and “aliens and strangers” (1 Peter 2:11). They are those who, in hope, “desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. (Heb. 11:16). Abraham & Sarah first exemplified this description, and believers are their offspring through faith. The Psalms’ spiritual application of exile terminology to this whole mortal life indicates the expectation of a life to come (Ps. 39:12; 119:19 (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2380). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
Illustration: In C. S. Lewis’s famous book Screwtape Letters, Screwtape, the senior demon who is instructing his younger, inexperienced understudy, Wormwood, in the art of guiding a human being into Hell warns his pupil that his task is all the more difficult because the “Enemy” (God) “has a curious fantasy of making all these disgusting little human vermin into sons.” (C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters & Screwtape Proposes a Toast (New York: Macmillan, 1962), p. 17.) By means of God’s forgiveness of our sins and the new birth, we are in the family of God. Unable to deal with sin, Buddhism despairs of the present life and longs for release in Nirvana, which is “nothingness.” Hinduism seeks to solve the sin problem through escape from the wheel of karma via reincarnation (rebirth). Christianity solves the sin problem not by escape into nothingness or by rebirth but rather by the new birth! “We are God’s children now.”( Allen, D. L. (2013). 1–3 John: Fellowship in God’s Family. (R. K. Hughes, Ed.) (pp. 137–138). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.)
4) Hope Is Fulfilled by Christlikeness (1 John 3:2)
1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is (ESV)
Heaven is attractive for believers because there they will not only see the Lord Jesus Christ, but will become like Him.
Please turn to Philippians 3 (p.982)
Even though all who exercise saving faith in the person and work of Christ now … are children of God (cf. Rom. 8:14–18), it has not appeared as yet what they will be when they experience what Paul called “the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (8:21).
Stating the present status and future change, the Apostle Paul explained:
Phil. 3:20–4:1 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. 4 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. (ESV) (cf. cf. Ps. 73:24; Rom. 9:23; 1 Cor. 15:42–49; Col. 3:4; 1 Thess. 4:16; 2 Thess. 2:14; 2 Tim. 2:10).
• To “await/wait for,” denotes a waiting that is eager and intense; But our hope is not on a place, but a person. More specifically, believers are depicted here as awaiting a “Savior”.
• We need to prepare for our future by making the right choices now. To be ready for Jesus’ return we must want to be like Him now. That means consciously choosing to do those things that are morally pure and to avoid, even purge from our life, anything that is impure (Derickson, G. W. (2012). First, Second, and Third John. (H. W. House, W. H. Harris III, & A. W. Pitts, Eds.) (1 Jn 3:3). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.)
As a result, believers shall/will be like Him, because they will see Him just as He is. God has promised to bring about such a climactic transformation because “those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29). That transformation will make the redeemed perfectly holy and righteous, with a pure capacity to worship and glorify God in a totally satisfying, joyful, undiminished fashion forever (cf. Rev. 5:11–14). It has been rightly said that imitation is the highest form of praise, and this transformation will be a supreme tribute to Jesus Christ—that He is the Chief One, the prototokos, among many who are made like Him. Those whom the Father has elected to salvation through the Son will be made like the Son, conformed to the image of Christ. The Transformed will be the first among His elect and redeemed humanity who will join with the holy angels to praise and glorify His name, reflect His goodness, and proclaim His greatness, as they worship Him endlessly. When Christ appears to take his church to heaven, believers “will be like him,” possessing glorified, resurrected bodies (Rom. 8:17, 29–30; 1 Cor. 15:51–53) (Hughes, R. B., & Laney, J. C. (2001). Tyndale concise Bible commentary (p. 710). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)
Illustration: What we must remember is that this world has an end point. History is working towards a climax, when Jesus will appear. This future fact is both a great hope and a great stimulus. Queen Elizabeth has just celebrated her 90th birthday and continues to be the longest reigning monarch. The Prince of Wales, as heir to the throne, lives already in the light of what he will be one day. He does not yet possess his full inheritance, but his whole life has been, and is, shaped by it. One day we shall be like Jesus, changed into his likeness. Meanwhile, we live today in the enjoyment of the privileges of grace as his adopted children, knowing that on that day we need have nothing to fear (‘confident’) and nothing to hide (‘unashamed’, 2:28). Knowing our future does give confidence. But it does not make Christians complacent. It makes us concerned to do all we can now, in his strength, to live up to what we are and to what we shall be (Jackman, D. (1988). The message of John’s letters: living in the love of God (p. 85). Leicester, England; Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
5) Hope Is Characterized by Purity (1 John 3:3)
1 John 3:3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (ESV)
The hope of Christ’s return makes a practical difference in the lifestyle and behavior of believers. When one hopes in Christ, it produces a growing desire to become like Him now (Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:17–32; Col. 3:1–17). Jesus Christ is the saints’ Lord and Savior, who provides the ideal pattern for holy living. He is the goal of their lives, the One whom they must follow with increasing diligence and fervor, as the apostle Paul did (Phil. 3:12–14; cf. 1 Cor. 9:24–27; 1 Tim. 6:12; Heb. 12:1). Ultimately, it should be said of each believer that he purifies himself, just as Christ is pure (cf. Matt. 5:8; Phil. 4:8; 1 Tim. 1:5; 3:9; Heb. 9:14; 1 Peter 1:22). The present tense, purifies, is significantly chosen too, indicating a continuous process which is to be taking place at this moment. ‘He who stops purifying himself has dropped this hope from his heart.’ That present tense also guards against any incipient perfectionism, which might want to claim that we can reach a stage in this world when we no longer need to grow in holiness. (Jackman, D. (1988). The message of John’s letters: living in the love of God (p. 85). Leicester, England; Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.).
Please turn to Romans 5 (p.942)
Not even life’s worst trials can diminish their eternal confidence in the promises of God. In fact, the more difficulties believers encounter in this life, the stronger and brighter their hope becomes. Such hope is foundational to every redeemed sinner’s standing before God. As the Apostle Paul expressed it:
Romans 5:1–5 5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (ESV).
• The hope of the glory of God (v.2) refers to the promise that Christians will be glorified and perfected at the last day—a hope that results in joy (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2165). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
Those who are abiding in Christ, manifesting righteousness, gratefully recognizing God’s love toward them, being increasingly conformed to Christ’s image, and pursuing lives of purity can be confident that they have a hope that will not disappoint.
(Format Note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. (2007). 1, 2, 3 John (pp. 105–118). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.)
