MONDAY – 1 John 2:28-3:3, “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” We continue this week with part 3of Confidence Before God where we have been seeing that John is telling us we can live in a manner that will help us stand before the final judgment with confidence and without shame. John has shared with us that the foundation point of living with assurance and producing fruit (practices righteousness) in our lives is abiding in Jesus. Also, we have looked at the wonderful truth that we are called the children of God. The picture of family which is essential to understanding our position with God and one another in Christianity is so very crucial. As we close out this text his week we will focus on the last two verses where John points us to the fulfillment of our confident hope which is Christ likeness and being purified from sin in our lives.
(Meditate, Apply & Pray) Looking at all we have covered so far in this text, how do I measure up? Am I abiding in Him? How specifically? Do I see righteousness and change in my life which gives affirmation that I’m abiding in Jesus? Pray that God would teach You from His Word this week.
TUESDAY – 1 John 3:2: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” John reminds us that we have the great privilege as the children of God and then quickly point us forward by explaining that this life is only a beginning. When Christ appears in His glory, we shall be like Him. John most likely has in mind the old creation story that men were made in the image and in the likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). As Barclay comments, “That was God’s intention, and that was human destiny. We have only to look into any mirror to see how far we have fallen short of that destiny.” John rests in the surety that in Christ, His people will finally attain it and at last bear the image and the likeness of God as they should. He has told us that only through the work of Christ can men and women reach that final reality. John says we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. The finish line for believers is that they will see God in order that we may become like Him. There is a dilemma here. We cannot become like God unless we see Him; and we cannot see Him unless we are pure in heart, for according to Christ it is the pure in heart that shall see God (Matthew 5:8). This is the beauty of the Gospel and the beauty we see in John explaining God is our Father and has brought us to faith in Him in the new birth. In order to see God, we need the purity which only He can give. In his commentary on 1 John, Barclay says, “There is somewhere a story about a poor and simple man who would often go into a cathedral to pray; and he would always pray kneeling before the crucifix. Someone noticed that, though he knelt in the attitude of prayer, his lips never moved and he never seemed to say anything, and asked the man what he was doing kneeling like that. The man answered: ‘I look at him; and he looks at me.’ That is the vision of God in Christ that everyone can have; and whoever looks long enough at Jesus Christ must become like him.” Barclay is correct when he says that we become like Christ as we look at Him but we must be reminded we look at Him in Sacred Scripture. This is how we “see” Jesus. The writer of Hebrews (12:2) tells us to “fix our eyes on Jesus…” We look upon Christ as revealed in Scripture and meditate on His majestic glory and in staring at Him intently like Moses, we begin to radiate His image (2 Corinthians 3:18).
(Meditate, Apply & Pray) Think for a moment of how in an instant You will be transformed and without sin in that glorious day when you meet God face to face. Are you looking into the face of Jesus in Sacred Scripture? Does it show? Father, help me to see the beauty of Your Son my Lord in Your Word.
WEDNESDAY – 1 John 3:2: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” One last thing needs to be said concerning believers that shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. This incredible transformation has been promised to us by God the Father in Sacred Scripture. In Romans 8:29 we read, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” In that moment of seeing Jesus, we will be made perfectly Holy and righteous with a capacity to truly worship and enjoy God forever (Revelation 5:11-14). In that day God will conform us to the image of His Son, the protokos in Greek. Many will be made like Him, the supreme act of praise and glory bestowed upon Christ by The Father as He transforms fully those He has elected to salvation to become like His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus will be the first among His elect who will reflect His glory, proclaim His goodness and worship Him to the praise of His name forever and ever.
(Meditate, Apply & Pray) Meditate on the “golden chain” from Romans 8. Think of the glory that God has predestined You to be His child and that He will see through to the end, You being conformed into the image of Jesus. Father, thank You for such an incredible and undeserved gift. Help me look like Jesus.
THURSDAY – 1 John 3:3: “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” As John winds up this portion of our text he goes straight to the point. John states a fact: everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself. He doesn’t express a wish (“may he purify himself”), or a possibility (“he may purify himself”), or even a command (“he ought to purify himself”). The beloved Apostle merely states the fact in positive terms. He defines the action of true believers who live in the hope of becoming conformed to Jesus, and the more we contemplate that incredible truth, the more we get to the business of purifying ourselves of sin. The Christian man or woman desires to cleanse themselves from sin that contaminates both body and soul. We understand the truth that God has called and changed us by His grace and we constantly strive as Paul would tell us (2 Corinthians 7:1) for holiness in the fear of God. The hope of Jesus’ return provides motivation and produces practical changes in the life and behavior of believers. And as we have said earlier, the more we fix our gaze upon Christ and meditate on these realities the stronger we desire and move toward purity and Christ likeness.
(Meditate, Apply & Pray) If Jesus returned right now would I be ashamed concerning any area of my life? What do I need to get busy working on in light of that? What is it that I “fix my gaze” on in day to day life? Father, help me to stay focused on Jesus and the promise of His return and fight my sin.
FRIDAY– 1 John 3:3: “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” The final statement of our text says, just as He is pure. We have focused on Jesus purity and His working to make us pure throughout the letter of 1 John so far. John has called Jesus the righteous One who is our advocate with The Father when we sin. John wrote that if we have fellowship with Jesus, He cleanses us from sin through his blood (1:7). Also, he adds that if we claim to have fellowship with Him, we “must walk as Jesus walked” (2:6). John is stressing to us the purity which believers who profess Christ must demonstrate by living a life of holiness. He here does not ask us to work it up on our own but instead points us to the standard of purity, Jesus Christ wand calls us follow Him in our lives and strive for purity. Spurgeon sums up this verse as follows: “everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. That is to say, God The Holy Spirit so works in every man who has a true hope that he labors to become purified, and uses all possible means to overcome sin, and to walk in righteousness.” Paul said it this way in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” He reduced his goal to one thing; pressing forward to the upward call, leaning with everything he had toward the goal of Christ likeness in thinking and behavior. The prize in his words was the fact of becoming like Christ fully and finally as John has also shared with us these past weeks. May God help us press toward this goal.
(Meditate, Apply & Pray) Think of yourself as a sprinter running toward the tape and leaning your chest forward to be the winner. Is this how you are living out your Christian life in pressing toward purity and righteousness? Father, help not grow weary in the reace, keep my eyes on Jesus, pressing to the finish.
