THE HOPE THAT IS WITHIN US PURIFIES US – 1John 3:2-3
1John 3 v 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him because we shall see Him just as He is. 1John 3 v 3 Everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
INTRODUCTION
At Billy Graham’s funeral, his daughter, Anne, made a very significant comment. She was pointing out the significance of the date of Billy Graham’s death which was the 21 February 2018. Her research led her to discover that it was the same day as the death of Moses. Now I looked into this and I did not realise just how difficult the Jewish calendar really is. Moses was born and died on the 7th of Adar. The Jews have this well recorded, but we can’t give an exact date in our western, Gregorian calendar for this date, the 7th of Adar. Every year it is a different date but mainly it falls in February. The site dealing with Jewish Torah dates, gives the 2018 equivalent of the 7th of Adar as the 22nd of February. Anne Graham stated it was the 21st February. The dates of the Jewish calendar are so difficult. Why am I telling you this?
It is because we stand in very momentous times and God’s plan is being worked out. Prophecy relating to the last days of this Church age is being spotlighted before our eyes such as in the passages, “In the last days” found in 2 Timothy chapter 3 where Paul lists the signs of the times. We are in those times. Anne Graham went on to explain that the next event that happened after Moses died, was Joshua leading the chosen people into the promised land of Canaan. As Moses was instrumental in leading millions into victory and release from Pharaoh’s slavery in Egypt, then Billy Graham was instrumental in leading millions into freedom from the world’s slavery of sin, and Egypt is a type of the world in Scripture.
Both men were highly purposed for their generations. With Moses’ passing, we see the man Joshua leading the people into the promised land. Billy Graham is now in heaven and the next Joshua will be leading His people into the promised abode of heaven. Joshua in Hebrew, is Jesus in the Greek. I do not think it is unrealistic to mark the very importance of the death of Billy Graham. This year (2018) is 70 years since the formation of the Jewish nation, and it was after the 70 years of captivity, the Jews were led out of their Babylonian captivity by Zerubabbel and Ezra. I believe the Rapture is on the doorstep. The election of Donald Trump is also significant in God’s plan but that is not for this message. I just want you to be aware that the time for Christ’s coming for His Church is very near.
OUR HEAVENLY FUTURE
It is because of that fact that I want to concentrate of this next message from John’s first letter, chapter 3 verses 2 and 3. That will be our consideration for today. Let us think about the opening to verse 2 – “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet, what we shall be.” John has been speaking about being the children of God, and he continues with this certain fact in the statement that we are God’s children. If there is any doubt in the mind of any that they might not be saved, or if they are members of the Household of God, then it is important that you open this dialogue with God to see if you be in the faith.
John is so definite many times of our assurance and heritage as Christians. We must not go through life wondering if in the end, we might be accepted. That false gospel is based on works, not on faith. The Apostle Paul likewise is strong on his salvation – {{2Timothy 1 v 12 “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”}} That day is the day of His coming for the Church. Are you a child of God? it is essential you know that answer.
The next little section of that verse is full of hope. John writes, {{“and it has not appeared as yet, what we shall be”}}. The future is glorious, but we can’t enter into that in our earthly bodies with our earthly eyes and limited brains. God has withheld it from us, and I believe he has withheld it from everyone except for one occasion when the Apostle Paul was caught up to glory to see and hear things that were unspeakable; and Stephen got a glimpse of heaven before he was murdered; and John in the book of Revelation was allowed through inspiration, to see the things ahead that he might write of them. It is as if it is unlawful for us to know what glories lie ahead, and for that privilege, Paul was given a thorn in the flesh. I shall quote Paul exactly - 2Corinthians 12 v 4 was caught up into Paradise, and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. 2Cor 12 v 7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me - to keep me from exalting myself!
Let me caution you in regards to a modern trend where we see book after book coming out dealing with heavenly visitations. People are claiming to be visiting heaven, and even hell, mind you, and coming back to tell all these stories. Jessie duPlantis; dogs in heaven. All this stuff is lying delusions in a world of spiritual confusion. Paul was not permitted to speak of what he saw yet these modern deceivers have story after story roll off their tongues; and compromising, so-called Christian bookshops are peddling this stuff because it sells! Do not get deceived by any of these deluding spirits and liars.
Remember, John wrote, “and it has not appeared as yet, what we shall be”. Paul shares just a little on this, and to go beyond what Paul writes, is just worthless, human speculation. This is Paul – {{1Corinthians 2 v 9 “but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1Cor 2:10 To us God revealed them through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.”}} When the Lord returns, our old earthly, decaying bodies will be instantly changed for new bodies. Those already in heaven will have their already, decayed bodies miraculously recreated into heavenly and eternal bodies. That we know, for God has told us in Corinthians chapter 15. We also know that the Lord has prepared a place for us. As well, we know that God has prepared for us a whole set of circumstances that the human eye, or ear, or mind just can not even comprehend. The glories that lie ahead are “out of this world” we could say.
WE SHALL SEE HIM AS HE IS
Let us look at the second part of verse 2. John writes – {{We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him because we shall see Him just as He is.}} In understanding this verse I think we have to consider it as relating to those who will still be in their earthly bodies on earth at the time of the Lord’s appearing in the Rapture. For them, there are two promises – the first is that we shall be like Him. Just how do we understand that statement? Of course, we can never be like Him in regard to His very essence because He is God, and we can never be God. How then does John consider this?
I want to take you back to the resurrected body of Christ. In that body the disciples recognised Him, but they did not recognise Him. There was a change. He could go through walls. He still ate with the disciples. Yet that body was still veiled. Do you recall the time on the Mount of Transfiguration when the Lord was gloriously transfigured before Peter, James and John? They could only partially endure that glory. Moses was not permitted to comprehend that full glory when He saw Jehovah and was permitted only to see a partial expression of it. God dwells in inexpressible light. Paul saw the Lord when on the Damascus Road, so brilliant it was, that it was greater than looking into the midday sun. Those words, “shall be like Him” I think include being in glorious light in the presence of God; having eternal bodies; being absolutely sinless in perfection. You might be able to think of more.
Of course, let us be very clear about the saints of God who have already died and won’t be alive in the physical body when the Lord returns. For them the following verses apply – {{2Corinthians 5 v 6 “Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord - 2Cor 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight - 2Cor 5:8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.”}} Those Christians who have already departed this earthly home are experiencing the things that none on this earth can imagine – what the eye can never see, or the ear can never hear, or the heart could never construct. They are at home in rest. When the Lord comes again, those who have already died, return with the Lord and receive their new resurrected bodies first, then those who are still in the earthly body will have those bodies instantly transformed into imperishable bodies. The whole procedure of incorruptible bodies for those already departed, and the imperishable bodies for those still on earth, will only take the smallest fraction of time. The Greek is “inatoma” = not able to be cut. It literally is a particle of time that can’t be divided. My dear fellow Christians, we are all going to be changed. The hurts will be gone; the failing eyes and joints and slow brains; the visits to doctors and dentists – will all be gone, for we shall be like Him!
The end of verse 2 is this – {{“because we shall see Him just as He is.”}} How is He? Have you thought about how the Lord is? Resurrected, glorified, exalted, the Lord of glory! We will look on Him, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, one day, and we shall see Him just as He is. All the suffering of the cross that made it all possible will translate into all the glory that surrounds the throne of God where sits the Lamb of God, slain before the foundations of the world. The Lamb will receive His sheep into His presence – the Lord will receive you in love and kindness, because He redeemed you at the greatest price.
I seem to recollect a saying, “heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people”. I don’t think I can subscribe to that because heaven has always been where God’s presence is; or where God exists. Human beings are prepared for heaven - that is, made wholly acceptable through being washed in the blood of the Lamb. Heaven has not been prepared for people – people are prepared for heaven. In any case, heaven is not our eternal home. It is only temporary. If we die we go to be with the Lord in heaven. If we are alive when He comes, he raptures us and takes us to heaven for just 7 years. Then after that, at the Second Coming, we all live and reign on earth for 1000 years with our Lord in the Millennium, and then we will live in the eternal abode that has definitely been prepared for us – the New Jerusalem that will descend out of heaven.
THE PURIFYING HOPE WE ALL MUST HAVE
We now come to a very challenging verse, that is, verse 3 – “{{Everyone who has this hope fixed on Him, purifies himself, just as He is pure”}}
The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is our hope. Do you have this hope? It grows from reading the bible and meditating on the Person and work of the Lord, and learning about heaven. We call the Rapture, “the blessed hope” because the bible does that, found in Paul’s letter to Titus – {{Titus 2 v 11 “The grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men, Titus 2:12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, Titus 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Christ Jesus Titus 2:14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”}}
Both Paul and the Apostle John share similar thoughts in the two matters they write on, in the passages before us. The first is that we do have a hope, and that hope relates to the coming of the Lord for us. The second point, and this is where the challenge lies, is that this hope must have a changing effect on us. It is not a hope in isolation. Both John and Paul speak of being purified. A godly and sanctified life is connected with this blessed hope. That is where we should be going. We should ever be progressing towards the purity of light in the scriptures. Our lives must be changed. The blessed hope develops us into clean, and cleaner vessels through the work of the Holy Spirit, and Paul tells us it is the Saviour who is purifying a people for Himself.
John says there must be purity; Paul says we must deny ungodliness and worldly desires, and we must live sensibly and righteously and godly; that we must be ever looking for the Rapture, and that we must be zealous for good deeds. All that is the outcome of HOPE. Hope grows spiritual fruit, similar to what Paul suggests – {{2Corinthians 5 v 9 “Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.”}}
Our lives pass through many phases. It is the older people who dream and contemplate the future. That is correct. As we age, this blessed hope in us must grow even stronger and mature. Through life’s experiences we come to learn that the things of earth are fractured, and like a cloud of gas that dissipates and is no more. The world is full of falsehood and corruption. The hope within us grows as we look forward to eternal realities in the presence of the Lord. We understand how temporary this world of man’s construction really is.
The younger person, recently married has the cares in this world, making a living, raising kids, trying to please a wife and so much more. It even squashes out the spiritual hope a bit. We all know that. We have all been there, but the hope still resides and must be allowed to grow, and also the results of that hope, which is purity in the believer.
One of the great losses in the Christian church of Australia is the expulsion of the old hymns from nearly every church, certainly the larger churches. They have been replaced, generally, by repetitive, shallow inventions. I don’t intend to go any further with that right now, but I do want to mention some of the great hymns of the faith that looked forward to the Lord’s coming, and which gave inspiration and hope to Christians through the ages. They give inspiration to me and I sing them sometimes to myself –
“When the trumpet of the Lord will sound”
“Man of sorrows, what a name”
“Come Thou long expected Jesus”
“Come ye that love the Lord and let your joys be known”
“When all my labours and trials are o’er”
“When our Lord comes in glory and we’re raptured to His side”
A Christian should follow his or her Lord in all things. The Holy Spirit’s ministry is to make Christ alive in me. The coming of the Lord is the hope that every Christian ought to have burning bright. Paul wrote to the Colossians with these words – {{Colossians 1 v 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.}} Yes, Christ is our hope of glory, Christ in you! Have that glorious hope fixed in you, that you wait expectantly for the Lord to come to call us home.
THE RAPTURE
We know not what a day may bring,
Or if the skies with joy will ring,
When to Himself, the Lord our King,
Takes us, who Rapture’s song will sing.
And if His coming yet is stayed,
His children then won’t be dismayed.
For while His coming is delayed,
The gospel message is relayed.
The blesséd hope we look out for -
To be with Him for evermore.
The present signs, we can’t ignore,
Begin to open up that door.
God’s trumpet will peal out its sound,
Archangel’s voice heard all around.
The Saviour’s shout will much abound
To snatch His own from death’s cold ground.
Forever to be with the Lord,
To worship Him, our God adored,
Where, gone forever, all that’s flawed,
Where love and grace have been outpoured.
His promise then will be fulfilled
Exactly as the Father willed.
With doubting heart and mocking stilled,
By Rapture’s song we will be thrilled.
(Ron Ferguson. Copyright. May be used in Christian ministry)
Do you have the hope of the Lord’s coming to rapture His own, burning in your breast. Please ensure that you are in the faith and growing in Christ all the time.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
