Pursuing Personal Purity

1 John 3:1-3

Theme: God encourages us to Pursue Personal Purity with the hope of Christ’s coming for us in the Rapture.

The Sons of God Practice Righteousness and Shun Sinfulness (1Jn. 3:1-10). John is concentrating on sonship—God’s children or family. He emphasizes being “born of God” (see 3:9; 4:7; 5:4). Recall in John 3 the apostle emphasized the theme “God is love” (4:8, 16). Here he articulates that a true child of God will prove his spiritual birth by practicing righteousness and shunning sin—being obedient to God’s Word.

God Encourages Us to Live Right with the Hope of Christ’s Coming (1Jn. 3:1-3). Through faith we are now God’s children. When Jesus appears we will be completely like Him. As we keep His promise of transformation in view, and fix our desire on the goal of perfection, we will grow in purity here and now (3:1–3).  There are three motivations John uses to inspire progress in growth: the love of God, Christ’s return, and Christ’s purity.

God’s Amazing Love Encourages Us to Pursue Purity (3:1). 

Consider the Love of God that Brought Us into His Family in the Past. The thought of being born of God arrests John with wonder, and he invites us to “behold” God’s love also.   He beckons to us to stand in awe at the particular kind of wonderful love that brought us into the family of God. Such a lavish display of love should stimulate a life of righteous obedience to God.

God’s Love is from Out of This World! The phrase, “What manner of” actually means, “from what country, race or tribe?” and denotes something out of this world.

The phrase “what manner of” refers of something foreign. ““Behold, what foreign-kind of love” is literally what John writes.”—Wiersbe  

The love of God is foreign to the human race. It is not found naturally in humanity. When it exists there, it is in a saved individual, and by reason of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Smith suggests, “from what far realm? What unearthly love,… how other-worldly.” –Wuest

The Bible gives Us a Snap Shot Description of God’s Love.

God's love is forgiving (Luke 15:7).

God's love is beyond measure (Rom 8:38-39).

God's love is eternal (Jer. 31:3).  

God's love is sacrificial (John 3:16).  

God's love is inexhaustible (Ps 136:1).

I pray these appealing words will minister to you as they extol the profound truth of Christ’s out-of-this-world love for each of us. Beloved allow these words to move you to awe even now.

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul! What wondrous love is this, O my soul! What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul, to bear the dreadful curse for my soul. –What Wondrous Love is This

God’s Love Established Us as Sons of God! In the Bible the word “called” indicates that this is what we actually are!  We are (“called to be saints,” lit., “called holy” [1 Cor. 1:2]). Believers are “called the sons of God” because we are the born-ones of “the Father.”

God could have saved us without making us sons of God. But the manner of God’s love is shown in that he brought us into His family as children. Beloved, contemplate the greatness of the divine love (Jer. 33:3; Jn 15:9; Rev. 1:5, 6)!

O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure—the saints’ and angels’ song. –Frederick M. Lehman: The Love Of God

God will give us the power and strength to grasp how wide and long and high and deep the love of Christ truly is (Eph. 3:17-19). We must pray for such enlightenment and strength! Christ’s love is an immense concept to be comprehended. Yet God wants us to know experientially the love of Christ that supersedes all knowledge (Phil. 4:7). The more a Christian knows Christ, the more amazed he is at Christ’s love for him.   Stand with John in amazement of God’s love.  Appreciate the fact that God’s love is expressed to you, that Christians are included in His family. God loves you believer, whether you are weak or well or strong. The Lord Jesus on the night of His betrayal loved His own; “having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end” (John 13:1). He still loves you also!

God’s Love Suffered the Cross of Calvary for Sinners! Paul had this idea in mind when he wrote Rom. 5:6–10.

John 15:13, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Not father or mother has loved you as God has, for it was that you might be happy He gave His only Son. When He bowed His head in the death hour, love solemnized [made official] its triumph; the sacrifice there was complete.—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 “Behold” (1Jn. 3:1) this wonderful display of love! “Behold” means to look in order to perceive, understand or know more fully! God wants us to grasp and appreciate His awesome display of love toward us. Don’t ignore it or take it for granted. Instead focus and concentrate on it as a motivating power in your heart! Reflect often on the wondrous love of Christ!

Love is the greatest motive in the world, and if we understand God’s love, we will obey His Word. “If ye love me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). –Weirsbe

It was Isaac Watts who wrote the great hymn When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.  In the last stanza he wrote, “Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.”

God’s Love Is In Stark Contrast To The Love Of The World (3:1).

The world loves those who love them, while God loves even those who disobey Him. Of course, the world has no understanding of this love, and the world hates us. So as we journey from day to day, the world does not recognize us as children of God. The people of the world do not understand us or the way we behave.

Remember, the world did not understand the Lord Jesus when He was here on earth. “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. ¹¹ He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:10-11). Since we have the same characteristics as the Lord Jesus, we cannot expect the world to understand us, either. They do not know Christ, so they cannot know Christ’s family.

Christ’s Appearance in the Rapture Encourages Us to Pursue Purity (3:2). 

Consider the Hope of Transformation at Christ’s Coming in the Future. The fact that we are presently the sons of God, guarantees our future glory through the rapture (3:2).  Our future glorification has not yet been revealed, but we are confident that when Christ is revealed, we shall be 

like Him. Our perception is purely spiritual; there is no physical evidence of this that any eye can see.

What we are now in Christ is wonderful; but what we shall be is even more wonderful!

Jesus Christ will Appear as Promised!

         1.      1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

        2.      2 Peter 3:11, Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

        3.      2 Peter 3:14, Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

Christ Gives Us the Anticipation of Complete Transformation—“We shall be like Him.”

This does not mean that we will be physically like Jesus in heaven. The Lord Jesus will have His own definite appearance, and will bear the scars of Calvary throughout eternity. Each of us, we believe, will have his own distinct features and will be recognizable as such. The Bible does not teach that everyone will look alike in heaven.

However, we will be morally like the Lord Jesus Christ. We will be free from the possibility of defilement, sin, sickness, sorrow, and death. This means inheriting a glorified body like His body (Phil. 3:20–21) and sharing in His eternal glory (John 17:24).

And how will this marvelous transformation be accomplished? (1Jn. 3:2)

       1.   When the Rapture Trumpet Sounds! (1 Cor. 15:52-54)

       2.    When We Finally See Jesus!

The answer is that one look at Christ will bring it to pass. “For we shall see Him as He is.” The physical changes in Christians await the coming of Christ. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him (Phil. 3:21). This transformation will result from seeing Him!

Here in life, the process of becoming like Christ is going on, as we behold Him by faith in the Word of God (2Cor. 3:17-18). But then the process will be absolutely complete when we see Him as He is: for to see Him is to be like Him.

Christ’s Purity Encourages Us to Pursue Purity (3:3). 

Consider how the Purity of Christ Stimulates Personal Purification Today.  

Christ is Pure!

       1.      Hebrews 7:26, For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

       2.      1 Peter 2:22, Who [Jesus] did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

       3.      John 19:4, Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them [Jews], Behold, I bring him [Jesus] forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.

      4.       Luke 23:41, And we [thieves] indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man [Jesus] hath done nothing amiss.

       5.      2 Cor 5:21, For he [God] hath made him [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

       6.      Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

       7.      1 John 4:17, Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (Also 1John 2:2; 3:5; Rev. 3:7)

Christ is Coming; therefore, Purify Yourself.

Believers who really have this hope and expect Christ to return will obey His Word and keep their lives clean.  They are not difficult to recognize! Their pure walk identifies them! (Eph. 5:1-13; Gal. 5:14-26)

We shall see Him “as He is,” but we must also “walk, even as He walked” (see 1Jn. 2:6) and do “righteous, even as He is righteous” (1Jn. 3:7).

We are expected to purify ourselves—“everyone that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself,” that is, keep our hearts clean (2 Cor. 7:1; 1Jn. 1:7-9). New life results in continuous purification from sins as we anticipate meeting Christ Who is perfectly pure (Heb. 7:26; 1Jn. 4:17).

This is what God expects of us as believers—Christ is our standard.  Not some believer who is stumbling and failing constantly, but Jesus Christ the Righteous Himself! Our perception of His purity and conception of biblical purity will drive our own quest and yearning for purity. The clearer our view of Christ’s purity, the greater purity of life we will strive for.  But if our estimation of Christ is deficient, then our desire for chastity of life will be greatly deficient.  It is not wise to compare ourselves with each other as a standard of righteousness, it is best to compare yourself with the spotless Son of God in His brilliant spotlessness.