1 John 3:3 (NASBStr)
And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
John is writing his book to give the believers assurance that they can, indeed, be assured of their salvation and have full joy of their salvation (1 John 1:3; 5:23). But, also that they will not be deceived about their salvation (1 John 2:26). As he develops his theme he comes to Christ's resurrection providing us with hope of eternal life. He has just told them that not only will they have eternal life but also, in the resurrection, be just like Christ (... we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He is.). That thought, according to John, should be a motivating factor toward our holiness. God wants us to be holy (1 Peter 1:15, 16). But, he doesn't leave us alone in our pursuit of holiness. God gives us the Spirit of God who, the motivation that we will soon be like Christ and see Christ, we can and will be sanctified toward holy living. Hope is often seen (by both Greeks and Hebrews) to be something ONLY in the future. Yet, John plainly tells us that hope in Christ is not an "in the future" aspect, only. It is for the here and now. Since we have hope we change how we live. Biblical hope is not confined to some future prospect only. It is something that lives in our lives right now and, through the Spirit, changes how we live right now.
See Word's Biblical Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 5:8 in regard to vs. 3.
WORD: Plainly the Advent hope is treated as an incentive to Christian life and conduct here and now. The motive power for Christian life and conduct is supplied by the indwelling Spirit (cf. 4:8); it is his indwelling presence, indeed, as other letters of Paul make plain, that insures that the Advent hope is no vain hope but one which, because it is so well founded, is ethically fruitful in the present mortal existence.
No comments:
Post a Comment