I John 3:3 (Part 1)

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And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

THE STUDY:

          Believers strive for a life of purity because Christ “is pure.” The pronoun “he” translates the affectionate pronoun ekeinos (lit. that one), a term often used in 1 John to refer to Jesus. The pronoun makes specific designation—that one. The incarnate, earthly Jesus (2:6) defines the purity in view.

The word “pure” (hagnos) means holy, belonging to God. The purity of Christ calls for his disciple to embrace that same purity. Yet, interestingly, hagnos (Pure) is never used in the Gospels to identify Jesus (Brown 1982, 397). The verb form (hagnizō) appears only here and in John 11:55 in the entire writings of John.

The measure of true holiness is Christlikeness. Holiness is not first and foremost adherence to rules or standards. Rather it is the divine life being lived out through us. The phrase just “as he is pure” involves the possession of the same kind of character Christ displayed. We will see Christ “as he is” and that unhindered seeing leads to a purity of life that is like his.^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• What we can walk away with this morning is the understanding that Holiness is not “regulations” but “revelation.” It is Christ being revealed through us in our daily walk with Him.

CONCLUSION:

          Paul tells us to live victoriously and to avoid excesses of the flesh. Moody once illustrated this truth as follows: “Tell me,” he said to his audience, “How can I get the air out of this glass?” One man said, “Suck it out with a pump.” Moody replied, “That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass.” After many impossible suggestions, Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. “There,” he said, “all the air is now removed.” He then went on to show that victory in the Christian life is not by “sucking out a sin here and there,” but rather by being filled with the Spirit. ^[2]

          Living a life of Holiness is not removing sin here and there but a life that dies out each every day to Christ: Asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit and letting His ways be yours today!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (112). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

^[2] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.