1st John 3:1-3 PURITY The life of a believer as God intends, and has made provision for, is a joyful life [1Jn.1]. Joy and victory depend on our fellowship with God and the children of God. The conditions of fellowship and the conduct of fellowship were addressed by the apostle in the first chapters. Now he identifies the characteristics of fellowship. These characteristics are in contrast to the false teachers who depart from the faith, deny the faith and seek to deceive the faithful. Our defense against them is addressed in chapter 3. Our motivation to maintain this life of victory challenges us to purity in view of the prospect ahead when our Lord comes [v.1- 3]. Righteousness of life demonstrated is evidence of our position as children of God [v.4-10]. Love is evidence of reality as those who are children of God. Answers to prayers made with confidence in God and obedience to God, gives us assurance that our fellowship with the Father is intact.
One who is truly born again has a nature implanted that does not lose the wonder of being loved by God. In an exclamatory phrase, the apostle writes words of worship and praise as he passes on to others the thoughts of his own heart. How great and real is the "manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us!" It defies description because it is so far beyond human experience. The Father who loves the Son supremely, has bestowed that love on us as His children. This "manner of love" is unique in its origin because He is a perfect Father. He has freely bestowed this on us, not because we deserve it but because of who He is. It has been bestowed on us by His choice and we have been made recipients of an infinite love that has made us "sons of God."
Angels and then Adam were called "sons of God." Now we are called sons of God because we have been "created in Christ Jesus" and so are new creatures in Him. Those who are born of God "do not commit sin" [3:9]; "love one another" [4:7]; "believe that Jesus is the Christ" [5:1]; "overcome the world" [5:4] and "keep ourselves" [5:18]. We are children of now by birth, not only by adoption. We are children of God now, not in the distant future. We are children of God in whom the features of our Father are to be seen. When people saw our Lord Jesus when He was here, they saw the Father, even though they did not recognize that fact. The features of the Father are those things that reveal His character such as purity of character, holiness in life, love that is demonstrated in many ways, and righteousness that puts all of these characteristics on display. The world will not recognize this in the children of God because it did not recognize that in the Lord Jesus Christ when He was here.
Even though we are flesh and blood, and are unrecognized by the world as children of God, it is a fact. Our Lord was not recognized but was laughed at and mocked when He said He was the Son of God. How much more will we who still have sin in us and at times commit sins be laughed at and mocked. Many will think it the heights of arrogance that we tell them we are saved from the consequences of our sin, have been given eternal life and will not perish - and are now "sons of God." We should not marvel at this rejection because the world didn't know the perfect Son of God when He was here.
The day is coming when our Lord comes, that we will be changed. "Our vile bodies" will be made like His body of glory. We have been predestined to be like God's Son. There will be a moral change when we are no more able or even want to sin. The limits of our humanness will be transfigured into the image of God's dear Son. Our bodies will put off corruption and put on immortality. When all things are made new [Rev.21:5], it may be that those who died in infancy will be mature, and those who died in old age or weakness will be made strong and robust. "When we see Him, we shall be like Him..." We will be reflections of God then in a way similar to what we should be now. At the present time we can grow to resemble our Lord by "being righteous as He is righteous" [2:29]; by being pure "as He is pure" [3:3]; and by rejecting sin when it raises its ugly head in view of the time we shall be like Him [3:5].
He is righteous and we have been declared righteous before God because of the righteousness of Christ imputed to us. What joy when our standing and state are the same before God. His purity when He was here was such that He was "holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners." Now we have to admit that in our flesh we fail because we are earth-bound. The process of becoming like Christ will not be complete until we see Him. But knowing our ultimate destiny is to be with Him, should purify us now and challenge us to be morally clean from the corruption of sin. The promise of His coming is to us a positive hope that excites us rather than frightens us. It is a "blessed hope [Ti.2:13]; a "joyful hope" [1Thes.2:19]; a "lively hope" [1Pe.1:3]; a "hope of glory" [Col.1:27] and a hope that is an "anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast" [Heb.6:19]. Because it also is a purifying hope [v.3] we are challenged to abide in Him now so our hearts are set on Him who we may see at any moment of the Father's choosing.
Obeying the truth has a purifying effect on us [1Pe.1:22]. Drawing near to God deliberately with clean hands and a pure heart, also purifies us [Ja.4:8]. Deliberately avoiding any sin or people who would turn us aside from our walk with God by faith, keeps us pure [1Tim.5:22].
The manner of the Father's love stirs us to live in purity in view of the Lord's appearing. The matter of the world's knowledge and lack of understanding of who God is and what Christ has done, moves us to purity in contrast to the ways of the world. The meaning of the Son's appearance moves us to sanctification now in view of glorification in the future.