10

The Purifying Hope
(1 John 2:28-3:3)

Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him. See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (2:28-3:3)

First Corinthians 13:13 expresses the three benchmark virtues of biblical Christianity: “Now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” Of those three frequently discussed subjects, “faith” and “love” have engendered the most discussion among believers; while “hope,” at least by comparison, has often been overlooked or neglected. Yet, like faith and love, hope is not only a fundamental biblical concept, but the ultimate reality to which all others point—one that all Christians need to understand in its profound richness and full significance if they are to maintain a right and true perspective regarding both this life and the next.

The concept of spiritual hope is analogous to turning on a blazing light in a dark place. It immediately illuminates one’s outlook, uplifts the soul, and produces joy in the heart. Hope introduces life and happiness into this sin-stained and death-filled world (cf. Ps. 146:5; Prov. 10:28; Rom. 5:1-2; 12:12; 15:13; Gal. 5:5; 2 Thess. 2:16; Heb. 3:6). Yet, sadly, most people in this world know nothing of the advantages and privileges that true hope brings. Unbelievers simply do not have “an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast” (Heb. 6:19). In fact, all they have are superficial sources of security—things like narcotics, alcohol, sex, entertainment, materialism, surface-level relationships, and a man-centered desire for a better future. But all of these false hopes are only spiritual mirages that instantly vanish when this life ends (Job 8:13; 27:8; 31:24-28; Prov. 10:28; cf. Eph. 2:12). For the world, “hope” is a mere wish based on a desire or plan, but not grounded in the promises of God who always speaks the truth and is faithful to all His Word. Biblical hope is not a wish but an absolute future reality guaranteed by the Lord.

The world’s hopelessness stands in stark contrast to the genuine and lasting hope that God offers. As Paul instructed the Romans,

To be sure, the present joys of salvation cannot compare with the ultimate, surpassing joys that divine hope guarantees for the future, when salvation is fully realized. For instance, the continuing battle against sin that Christians experience here (Rom. 6:6, 12, 19; 7:24-25; 8:4-6, 12-13; 2 Cor. 7:1; Gal. 3:3; 5:24; Phil. 3:3) will terminate forever when they reach heaven (Rom. 8:30; 13:11; 2 Tim. 2:10; cf. Ps. 73:24). In addition to being made sinless, believers will also receive perfect, glorified bodies that God has prepared for them (Rom. 8:23; 1 Cor. 15:43; Phil. 3:20-21; cf. 2 Cor. 3:18), bodies that will complement their already redeemed souls.

In this life, it is good to experience the joy that comes with the forgiveness of sin (Ps. 32:1-2; Matt. 9:2; Luke 5:20; Col. 2:13), to know the power of the indwelling Spirit, to see His fruit in one’s life (Gal. 5:22-23), to experience answered prayer (1 John 5:14-15), and to engage in spiritual fellowship (Ps. 133:1; Heb. 10:25), worship (Ps. 34:3), and service (cf. 2 Cor. 8:1-7); but all that satisfaction falls far short of the ultimate joy the saints will enjoy when God forever fulfills the promises that form their hope.

Since eternal glory—the goal of hope—is the reason for God’s saving plan and purpose, Scripture sets forth a complete theology of hope that, first of all, finds its beginning in the unchanging God, who cannot speak anything but the truth. The psalmist wrote, “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God” (Ps. 43:5; cf. 78:7). God’s promises of care (1 Peter 5:6-7), protection (Ps. 121:8; Jude 24), guidance (Ps. 23:3), and sustenance (Phil. 4:19) mean believers can confidently trust Him regarding His promises for the future.

Hope founded in the immutable and eternal Deity is sure and absolutely fixed. In the salutation of his letter to Titus, the apostle Paul refers to “those chosen of God … in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago” (1:1-2). God, who is always truthful (Num. 23:19; Deut. 32:4; Ps. 89:14; Isa. 65:16), recorded in His Book of Life before the foundation of the world the names of all those who would believe and receive the hope of eternal life (Rev. 13:8; 17:8; 20:12; cf. Matt. 25:34; Eph. 1:4; Phil. 4:3). So certain is their hope that the author of Hebrews could write, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 6:19-20). There is no certain or reliable anchor of hope other than one that rests in Christ and His finished work (cf. Col. 1:23, 27; 2 Thess. 2:16; Titus 1:2).

Second, hope is a gift of divine grace; it is not something anyone can earn. Paul offered these words of benediction to the Thessalonians, “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word” (2 Thess. 2:16-17, emphasis added).

Third, genuine hope is revealed in Scripture. Romans 15:4 says, “Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” As the inspired (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21) and inerrant (Ps. 119:160; John 17:17; cf. Dan. 10:21a; James 1:18a) Word of God, the Bible is full of God-given promises—divine guarantees in which believers can confidently trust. The psalmist, despite trials and difficulties, learned to live in that expectation: “My soul languishes for Your salvation; I wait for your word” (Ps. 119:81; cf. v. 49).

Fourth, hope is reasonable and defensible. The believer’s hope to reach holy perfection, receive a redeemed body, and eternally worship and rejoice in Christ in heaven is not an unrealistic, pie-in-the-sky yearning. It is a defensible hope because it comes from a trustworthy, truthful God who revealed it in His Word (Col. 1:5). Hence Peter urged his readers to “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15).

Fifth, the bodily rising of Jesus Christ from the grave secures the Christian’s hope. Earlier in his first epistle, the apostle Peter also attested to this truth: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3; cf. v. 21). The monumental, historical fact of the resurrection secured genuine hope for everyone who ever believed (1 Cor. 15:1-4; cf. vv. 20-28, 50-54). As Jesus told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die” (John 11:25–26; cf. Job 19:25-26; Ps. 16:10).

Sixth, hope is confirmed and energized in believers by the Holy Spirit. To the Romans Paul wrote, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13). The Spirit supernaturally places into believers a hopeful attitude in anticipation of their heavenly righteousness (Gal. 5:5). Moreover, the Spirit serves as a divine seal and pledge of the believer’s hope, guaranteeing that what God has started in the present, He will bring to full, glorious fruition in the future (Eph. 1:13-14).

Seventh, hope defends the saints against Satan’s attacks. Paul included hope as an important part of the spiritual armor that believers must wear in the inevitable war against the enemy. In 1 Thessalonians 5:8, he wrote, “Since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation” (cf. Eph. 6:17). Satan and his forces seek to deal crushing blows of doubt and discouragement to believers. But when God’s people wear the helmet of salvation, hope, they have protection from those satanic attacks.

Eighth, hope is also confirmed through trials. Because believers have hope, even the most severe adversity and suffering will not separate them from safekeeping in God’s hands. Paul’s encouragement to the Roman Christians illustrates this point:

In actuality, trials not only confirm true hope; they serve to strengthen and sharpen that sense of hope and heavenly expectation (cf. James 1:2-12; 1 Peter 1:6-7).

Ninth, hope is the source of the believer’s greatest joy and blessing. The psalmist exulted, “How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God” (Ps. 146:5; cf. Jer. 17:7). Because of who the sovereign God is and what He does for His own, nothing can supersede hope in Him as a source of lasting joy. Those who hope in Him are able to endure the most difficult circumstances of this life without losing their joy. After all, no matter how uncertain this life seems, God always remains the same—the all-powerful King of the universe and the loving Father of His children, who will bring them all to glory. Consistent with the Father’s purpose, the Son will keep all the Father gives Him and raise them “on the last day” (see John 6:39-40) to eternal glory.

A tenth feature of hope is that it removes the fear of death. Those who are genuinely saved are acutely aware of their sinful violations of God’s holy law (Pss. 25:11; 38:3-4; 51:3-4; 69:5; Rom. 7:17-24; 1 Tim. 1:15; cf. Isa. 6:5) and the severity and earthly permanence of its consequences (cf. Gen. 3:7-24; Rom. 5:12; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 6:7-8). But at the moment of salvation their sins are forgiven, they receive eternal life, and though gaining a stronger sense of sin, they lose the fear of death as divine judgment. Believers may still not relish the pain and suffering that can accompany death (hence the Bible’s commands to trust God and not be anxious; cf. Ps. 55:22; Jonah 2:7; Phil. 4:6). However, they possess a hope that removes the ultimate sting of death, which is part of the penalty for those who reject God’s law. Like Paul, they can look forward to death with joy, because the Savior has fulfilled the death penalty for all who believe:

Finally, all the glorious facets of Christian hope will be consummated when Jesus Christ returns (1 Cor. 1:8; Col. 3:4; 1 Thess. 3:13; 5:23; Heb. 9:28). His return (referring broadly to both the rapture and the second coming) will encompass all that believers hope for, including glorified resurrection bodies (1 Cor. 15:50-52; 1 Thess. 4:13-18), the privilege of reigning with Christ in His earthly kingdom (2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 20:4), and the receiving of eternal reward (2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 22:12). The believer’s hope will not be entirely complete until that time of resurrection; then it will be fully realized at His coming—and it will continue in its full splendor for all eternity. Hence Paul could write that the saints are continually “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of [their] great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Titus 2:13; cf. 1 Thess. 4:16-18; 1 Peter 1:3-5).

As should be clear by now, hope is not only foundational to Christian doctrine and the believer’s confidence, but it also has immense ethical implications. Genuine hope will purify the lives of those who possess it (3:3), and thereby verify that they are Christians. This is one of the primary themes of the apostle John’s writings, especially in this passage.

In this letter John has already presented doctrinal and moral tests that can determine one’s true spiritual condition, and in this section he further elaborates on the moral (ethical) test. Orthodox beliefs about the nature of sin and the person of Christ, the practical presence of sincere love and obedience, and now a personal pursuit of purity and holiness are all evidences that a person has true, eternal hope.

This passage contains five perspectives that further define and clarify the essence of biblical hope: it is secured by abiding, it is manifested by righteousness, it is established by love, it is fulfilled by Christlikeness, and it is characterized by purity.

HOPE IS SECURED BY ABIDING

Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. (2:28)

The emphatic particle nun (now) introduces a new section and plainly indicates a paragraph break. (It also strongly implies that, despite the modern chapter divisions in the text, chapter 3 should begin at this point.) The aged apostle John again chose a favorite pastoral term, little children, to address his readers. That phrase encompasses believers at all levels of maturity (2:12; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21; John 13:33; cf. Rom. 8:16-17; 1 Cor. 4:14; Gal. 4:19; Eph. 5:1; Phil. 2:15; 1 Peter 1:14; 1 John 3:1-2) and expresses John’s continuing fatherly care and concern for the recipients of this letter (cf. 2:12).

Abide translates a form of the verb menō, which means “to stay” or “to remain.” It is a term the apostle John used frequently in his New Testament writings; for instance, it appears nearly a dozen times in John 15 alone. There Jesus instructed the eleven apostles (Judas having already left; John 13:27-31), “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4; cf. vv. 6, 7, 16). Earlier in this second chapter, John again focused on the importance of abiding in Christ and the general significance of aspects of abiding: “The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (v. 6; cf. vv. 10, 14, 19, 24, 27). Neither Christ nor John referred to some mystical, elitist spiritual experience. They commanded believers to persevere daily and sustain their faith in the gospel and in the Christ of the gospel (1 Cor. 16:13; Gal. 6:9; Phil. 1:27; Col. 1:10, 22-23; 2 Tim. 3:14; Heb. 10:23; 2 Peter 3:18; cf. Pss. 73:24; 138:8; Prov. 4:18). In order to do that, believers must continue to love and obey the Scripture, submit to the direction of the Holy Spirit, and remain committed to the truth they first received (cf. 4:12-13, 15-16; 2 John 2, 9). Such abiding precludes clinging to a habitual pattern of sin (see the commentary on 3:6, 9, 14-15, and 17 in the next two chapters of this volume).

The apostle’s teaching that true Christians abide in Him reinforces Jesus’ statement, “The one who endures to the end, he will be saved” (Matt. 24:13). John’s words are also consistent with Paul’s exhortation to the Colossians to continue in the faith:

No one who professes to believe the gospel but then permanently abandons the faith possesses eternal life. Earlier in this letter John wrote: “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us” (2:19). Only those who remain faithful to the Lord and His Word, and give evidence of the fruits of righteousness (5:1-5, 10; Matt. 7:17-18; 12:33, 35; John 3:21, 36; 13:35; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 5:22-23; 6:7-8; Eph. 5:9; James 2:14-26; cf. Isa. 3:10; Jer. 17:9-10) by the indwelling power and presence of the Spirit (cf. Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; Gal. 4:6) are truly saved. As John penned earlier in this chapter:

The Bible teaches the complementary truths that true Christians will persevere in their faith, and that God will keep them eternally secure. Without question, the Lord securely holds on to His own. As Jesus declared,

But that wonderful reality does not absolve believers from the responsibility to persevere in their faith and abide in Christ (cf. Phil. 2:12-13; Jude 20-21).

The seemingly opposite truths of eternal security and perseverance actually work together in perfect harmony. It is not unlike salvation, when God sovereignly saves sinners, but not apart from their personal faith; or sanctification, when God supernaturally conforms believers to His Son, yet not apart from their obedience. In the Christian life, God always provides the power and means for believers to win the spiritual battle. Thus Jesus told Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:31-32). And Paul encouraged the Corinthians with this divine promise: “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13; cf. John 17:15; Heb. 2:18). But believers must also actively persevere; they must “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12), knowing that, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12). Perhaps nowhere in Scripture is the balance between God’s work and the believer’s work more clearly expressed than in Paul’s words to the Philippians: “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (2:12-13; cf. Col. 1:29).

As noted earlier, a crucial aspect of Christian hope is that it will culminate when Jesus Christ comes again, which gives believers strong incentive for godly living (3:3; cf. Col. 3:4; 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 4:8; 2 Peter 3:14). When He appears, faithful saints will have confidence and not shrink away from Him. The appearance of Christ refers especially to the gathering of the church at the rapture (cf. John 14:1-6; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; 1 Thess. 4:13-18) and the activities that will follow at Christ’s judgment seat (cf. 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:9-10). Confidence translates a Greek word (parrēsian) that means “outspokenness” or “freedom of speech.” Elsewhere in the New Testament it refers to believers’ boldness in approaching God (Heb. 4:16; 10:19; 1 John 3:21; 5:14). In this verse it indicates an assurance derived from a holy life of abiding in Christ (cf. Eph. 5:27; Col. 1:22; 1 Thess. 3:13; 5:23). In contrast, nominal Christians, who are actually unbelievers, will shrink away from Him in shame because they are not genuine children of God (Matt. 13:20-22; cf. John 8:31; 15:6; Heb. 3:6, 12; 6:4-6; 10:39)—their hypocrisy having been evidenced by the fact that they did not persevere in the faith they initially professed.

By God’s sovereign grace believers are saved and sanctified, and that same powerful grace will in the resurrection bring them to their full eternal reward at His coming (Titus 2:11-14; Rev. 22:12).

HOPE IS MANIFESTED BY RIGHTEOUSNESS

If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him. (2:29)

The new birth is inevitably and necessarily accompanied by righteousness (cf. Rom. 6:4; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:10; 4:24). By the same token, all who profess to be saved but do not demonstrate any tangible fruit of righteousness prove that they are actually unforgiven and have an empty hope (cf. Luke 6:43-44; James 2:26). Such individuals can make no legitimate claim to eternal promises, since their lives betray a heart that is still unregenerate.

It is important to understand the different meanings of the words rendered know in this verse. The first occurrence is from oida and has the sense of perceiving an absolute truth, whereas the second occurrence (from ginoskō) conveys “to know by experience,” “recognize,” or “come to perceive.” The apostle John asserts first that if believers know that God is righteous, they can recognize that everyone also who practices righteousness is reflecting His life (cf. 1 Peter 1:13-16); that is, they are born of Him (1 Peter 1:3; cf. John 3:7, where the same verb translated born is used). Thus John reiterates the point that real believers are not verified so much by what they claim as by how they live (Rom. 6:18; cf. Luke 1:6).

Of course, John’s call to personal holiness was not a new concept. The book of Leviticus repeatedly sets forth God’s standard of purity and righteousness (e.g., 18:4-5, 30; 19:2, 37; 20:7, 26; 22:32). In the New Testament, Paul’s letters continually exhort believers to pursue holiness. Romans 12:1-2 is a notable and familiar example:

In this verse, the apostle John looks from the effect (righteous behavior) to the cause (the new birth) and shows that righteous living—not mere outward profession—evidences the fact that regeneration has truly taken place (James 2:20, 26; 2 Peter 3:11; cf. Rom. 14:17).

HOPE IS ESTABLISHED BY LOVE

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. (3:1)

John was overcome with wonder by the fact that sinners by divine grace became God’s children. The opening phrase of this verse, see how great a love, reflects the apostle’s amazement. The word translated see (idete) is both a command and an exclamation that exhorts readers to give close attention to the rest of the statement. How great (potapēri) is a seldom-used term that has no precise parallel in English. Concerning this word, D. Edmond Hiebert wrote,

God loves believers with a love that is impossible to articulate in any human language and that is utterly foreign to normal human understanding and experience. This is agapē love, God’s volitional love that He, of His own free and uninfluenced choice, has bestowed on all whom He has called to savingly believe in Jesus Christ. The Lord summarized it this way: “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). And later in this letter, John notes,

Such love seeks, at a great cost to itself, but only to give freely and spontaneously for the benefit of another, even if that person is not worthy of such an expression (cf. Deut. 7:7-8).

Since all of God’s attributes work in perfect harmony, His love necessarily operates in conjunction with each of His other attributes. He is lovingly holy (Rev. 4:8; 15:4), just (Isa. 30:18; Rom. 3:26; 1 Peter 3:18), merciful (Ps. 86:15; Luke 6:36; 2 Cor. 1:3), gracious (Ps. 103:8; 1 Peter 5:10), patient (2 Peter 3:9, 15), omniscient (Ps. 147:5; Rom. 11:33-34), omnipotent (Rom. 1:20; Rev. 19:6), omnipresent (Ps. 139:7-10; Jer. 23:23-24), and even wrathful (Ps. 7:11; Rev. 19:15). With regard to mankind, God’s love has a twofold expression: it is general toward unsaved humanity (common grace; Ps. 145:9; Matt. 5:45; cf. Mark 10:21a) and specific toward believers (special grace; cf. John 13:1; Rom. 5:8; 8:38-39; 9:13-15; Eph. 5:25). It is this specific and unique love of God for His own that stands as one of the unshakeable foundations of eternal hope.

In other words, believers can live in hope because they have experienced God’s love in an eternal, saving way—having been adopted into His family (Rom. 8:16) and called children of God (John 1:12; cf. 2 Peter 1:4). They became His children solely because He lavishly bestowed on them a gracious, unmerited, sovereign love apart from any that has human merit. Such love is inexplicable in human terms. It is not surprising, then, that the world does not know the nature of the relationship between God and His children (cf. Heb. 11:38a), because it did not know Him. Those outside of Christ cannot fathom (1 Cor. 2:15-16; 1 Peter 4:3-4) the true essence and character of believers, which shines forth in their likeness to the heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, their Savior and Lord (Matt. 5:16; Phil. 2:15; 1 Peter 2:12; cf. 1 Cor. 14:24-25). Even for believers it is a challenge “to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge” (Eph. 3:18–19a). Because Christians are so intrinsically different from the world around them, having been transformed by the Father who adopted them, the New Testament appropriately describes them as “strangers and exiles” (Heb. 11:13), “aliens” (1 Peter 1:1), and “aliens and strangers” (1 Peter 2:11). They are those who, in hope, “desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them” (Heb. 11:16). And having declared them righteous in justification, He is making them righteous in sanctification and will perfect that righteousness in glorification when hope is realized.

HOPE IS FULFILLED BY CHRISTLIKENESS

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. (3:2)

Heaven is attractive for believers because there they will not only see the Lord Jesus Christ, but will become like Him. Concerning that dramatic and eternal change, the apostle Paul wrote:

Even though all who exercise saving faith in the person and work of Christ now … are children of God (cf. Rom. 8:14-18), it has not appeared as yet what they will be when they experience what Paul called “the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (8:21). It is then that “the Lord Jesus Christ … will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself” (Phil. 3:20-21; cf. cf. Ps. 73:24; Rom. 9:23; 1 Cor. 15:42-49; Col. 3:4; 1 Thess. 4:16; 2 Thess. 2:14; 2 Tim. 2:10). As a result, believers will be like Him, because they will see Him just as He is. God has promised to bring about such a climactic transformation because “those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29). That transformation will make the redeemed perfectly holy and righteous, with a pure capacity to worship and glorify God in a totally satisfying, joyful, undiminished fashion forever (cf. Rev. 5:11-14).

It has been rightly said that imitation is the highest form of praise, and this transformation will be a supreme tribute to Jesus Christ—that He is the Chief One, the prototokos, among many who are made like Him. Those whom the Father has elected to salvation through the Son will be made like the Son, conformed to the image of Christ. He will be the first among His elect and redeemed humanity who will join with the holy angels to praise and glorify His name, reflect His goodness, and proclaim His greatness, as they worship Him endlessly.

HOPE IS CHARACTERIZED BY PURITY

And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (3:3)

The hope of Christ’s return makes a practical difference in the lifestyle and behavior of believers. When this hope is fixed on Him, it produces a growing desire to become like Him now (Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:17-32; Col. 3:1-17). Jesus Christ is the saints’ Lord and Savior, who provides the ideal pattern for holy living. He is the goal of their lives, the One whom they must follow with increasing diligence and fervor, as the apostle Paul did (Phil. 3:12-14; cf. 1 Cor. 9:24-27; 1 Tim. 6:12; Heb. 12:1). Ultimately, it should be said of each believer that he purifies himself, just as Christ is pure (cf. Matt. 5:8; Phil. 4:8; 1 Tim. 1:5; 3:9; Heb. 9:14; 1 Peter 1:22). The idea of purifying oneself does not mean believers can generate their own sanctification. Rather, it emphasizes that the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit does not take place apart from the believer’s obedience and use of the means of sanctifying grace. This is a typical call to Christians to obey Scripture in all things.

In thinking about heaven, believers should not become overly preoccupied with speculations about what it might be like to float on clouds or walk down golden streets. Instead, their primary focus should be on the profound significance of being eternally conformed to the image of Christ. As they fix their hope on their absolutely holy Savior and Lord and yearn to be both with Him and fully like Him in the future, their lives will be positively affected toward righteousness in the present. Accordingly, Paul told the Corinthian believers, “We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18; cf. 4:6; 1 Cor. 13:12).

The gospel delivers to believers a message of hope. The apostle Peter eloquently articulated this hope in the opening of his first letter:

Paul reduced his spiritual objective to one thing: “one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13b–14). The apostle’s one consuming spiritual objective was to pursue in life (“I press on toward the goal”) what was to be “the prize” when he received “the upward call.” And that prize is Christlikeness, as John makes clear in this passage. The reward in the life to come—likeness to the Lord—is the pursuit of all believers in this life.

Those who are abiding in Christ, manifesting righteousness, gratefully recognizing God’s love toward them, being increasingly conformed to Christ’s image, and pursuing lives of purity can be confident that they have a hope that will not disappoint. Not even life’s worst trials can diminish their eternal confidence in the promises of God. In fact, the more difficulties believers encounter in this life, the stronger and brighter their hope becomes. Such hope is foundational to every redeemed sinner’s standing before God: