Purifying Ourselves as God is Pure

1 John 3:1-3 ESV

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”

The Gift of Love

The love that God the Father has given to us is agape love, which centers in moral preference, and which prefers what God prefers, because he is love. And what does God prefer? Righteousness, holiness, godliness, truthfulness, integrity, moral purity, uprightness, faithfulness and self-control (under the control and guidance of the Holy Spirit). So, when we love with this kind of love, which comes from God, we will treat others with kindness, respect, compassion, care, and concern, and we will not do to them what is meant to deliberately sin against them and to cause them harm and suffering.

And who are we who are the recipients of this gift of love? We are the children of God. And how do we become children of God? By God-given and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ. And what does that faith look like? Well, it comes from God, and it is gifted to us by God, and it is not of ourselves, and it is persuaded of God. So, what does God persuade us to do in his word? To deny self, die daily to sin and to self, and to follow him in obedience, and to leave our lives of sin behind us and to now surrender our lives to obeying him and to doing his will.

And how did God love us with this love? God the Father sent his only begotten Son (God the Son) to the earth to be born to a human mother, with God as his birth father, and to minister his love and grace and compassion and mercy to the people of the earth, and to share with them the message of the gospel of our salvation. And he sent his Son to die on a cross to become sin for us on that cross so that when he died our sins died with him, so that by genuine faith in him we might die with him to sin and live for him and to his righteousness. And all this is empowered by God, and not of self.

The World Doesn’t Know Us

And who are we? Well, we are not those who are still of this world, who love (prefer) the things of this world and its sinful passions and desires over or in place of love for God and for his Word (see 1 John 2:15-17). We are not those who are still walking in sin while claiming we are in fellowship with God (see 1 John 1:5-10). And we are not those who are claiming to know God/Christ but who are not obeying his Word (his teachings, his instructions, his commands under the New Covenant), in practice (see 1 John 2:3-6).

Instead, we are those who, by God-given faith in Christ Jesus, are now walking (in conduct, in practice, and with purpose) according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh. Our minds are now set on God and not on the flesh. We are those who have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, who have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. And we are daily dying to sin and to self and walking in obedience to God.

[Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Ephesians 4:17-24; Luke 9:23-26]

And the reason the people of the world, i.e. the ungodly, which includes many who are giving lip service to God/Christ, but not in truth, is that they don’t truly know Christ. And what are the requirements for us to know Christ? I have already noted several of them. Yes, we must believe in Jesus, but not with a belief that is of our flesh or of the teachings of those who are still in the flesh, but with a God-persuaded faith in Christ which submits to Christ as Lord and leaves ones’ sins behind them and which follows Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands and in holy living.

So, those who have not surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ and who are not walking in his ways and in his truth and righteousness, but who are still the ones determining their own life course, and who are still walking in sin, they are not going to recognize when someone is a true believer in Jesus Christ, and they will not receive us nor accept us, and many will reject us because of our walks of faith and because of our stand for righteousness and holiness and for obedience to our Lord.

Who We are To Be

As God’s children we are to be followers of Jesus Christ now, who die with him daily to sin and to self and who live to him and to his righteousness, by the grace of God, and in his power and strength. And we are to be God’s holy people in all our conduct, and to be holy is to be set apart (unlike, different) from the world because we are being molded by God into the likeness of Jesus Christ. So we are to be being like Christ while we still live on this earth, and while we are still in flesh bodies.

But when Jesus Christ returns to judge the earth and the people of the earth and to take his faithful ones to be with him for eternity, those of us who have continued in Christ and in his word, in faithful obedience to our Lord and in walks of holiness and righteousness, will go to be with him for eternity, which is when our salvation will be complete. And then we will be like Christ for then we will be without sin. Then we will be perfect for we will no longer live in these flesh bodies. What a glorious day that will be!

So, while we wait for his return, what kind of lives should we be living? We are to be purifying ourselves, as God is pure, by the Spirit, empowered by God. For the Scriptures teach that God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, instructs (trains) us to renounce (to say “No!” to) ungodliness and fleshly and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return (Titus 2:11-14). But if we reject that, and we go our own way, we will not inherit eternal life with God.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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