1 João 3:3

DISCOURSE: 2443
THE FRUITS AND EFFECTS OF HOPE

1 João 3:3. Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

THE people of God are but little known to an ungodly world: instead of being considered according to their true character, they are regarded as hypocrites, enthusiasts, and disturbers of their brethren’s peace. But this is easily accounted for: the world know not God; and therefore it is no wonder that they know not his people. But the saints themselves have a very inadequate conception of the honour that is put on them, or of the glory that is reserved for them. They know indeed that they are sons of God; but they have very little idea of what is comprehended in that relation: and as to their eternal state, they can form no precise judgment respecting it; they only know, in the general, that they shall be like God, and be with him for ever. Yet though so little known to the world, and to themselves, they have marks whereby they may be clearly distinguished; they may be known by their uniform endeavours after holiness. To this effect the Apostle speaks in the words before us; from which we shall take occasion to consider,

I. The Christian’s hope—

Christ is the fountain and foundation of a sinner’s hope: without Christ, all must have perished: nor has the most eminent saint any more hope than a fallen angel, except as he is interested in the merits of Christ. But through him [Note: The text does not say, ἐν ἑαυτῷ, in himself, but ἐπʼ αὐτῷ, in him, that is, in Christ.] the believer has a glorious hope;

1. That he is a child of God—

[Christ, having purchased us with his own blood, has reconciled us to God, and made us his children. He teaches his followers to consider themselves as standing in this relation to God, not merely like the angels who are his sons by creation, but in a more exalted manner by regeneration and adoption: and he teaches them to expect from him throughout their whole lives the blessing suited to that high dignity [Note: ver. 1. João 1:12.Mateus 6:6; Mateus 6:8; Mateus 6:31.] — — —

Now the true Christian hopes that he is brought into this happy state, and that he shall receive from God all those endearing tokens of affection which the relation of sonship emboldens him to expect. This hope of his is founded partly on the merits of his Saviour, and partly on the internal evidence which he has, that he is interested in the Saviour. The mere circumstance of Christ having laid down his life for him, would not be a sufficient ground for him to number himself among the family of God: but when he has the testimony of his own conscience that he has sought acceptance with God through the death of Christ, then he is enabled to indulge a hope that the privileges annexed to such a state belong to him.]

2. That he shall be with God, and like him, for ever—

[The blessings which the saints enjoy are not confined to this life: “Being sons of God, they are also heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ [Note: Romanos 8:15.].” “Though they know not yet what they shall be, they know that, when they shall see him, they shall be like him; for they shall see him as he is [Note: ver. 2.].” The time is coming, when they shall all be introduced into his immediate presence, and be with him and like him for ever. This also is an object of the Christian’s hope — — — He believes that this is the heritage of the saints; and that “what God hath promised, he is able, and willing, to fulfil.”]

That this is no barren hope, will appear from,

II.

The effect it produces in him—

Every Christian will endeavour to purify himself to the uttermost—
[The Christian cannot wilfully live in any known sin: he will search out his corruptions, in order to subdue them; and his duties, in order to fulfil them — — — He will propose to himself the Lord Jesus Christ as his pattern: and though he can never hope to attain absolute perfection in this life, he will not rest satisfied with any thing short of that. He would gladly he “holy as God is holy, and perfect, even as his Father in heaven is perfect.” He considers how the Lord Jesus acted in reference to God: how in reference to man; and what tempers he manifested in the whole of his deportment; — — — then he labours to follow his example, and to “walk in all things as he walked.”]

To these endeavours he will be stimulated by his hope in Christ:
[He cannot endure to think himself a child of God, and yet act like a child of the devil: he cannot please himself with a prospect of enjoying and resembling God in a future life, without seeking communion with him and a resemblance to him in the present world. He will feel himself impelled to holiness by a sense of duty [Note: He knows he cannot be saved in any other way. Salmos 24:3.Mateus 5:8; Hebreus 12:14.Apocalipse 21:27.]; by a sense of gratitude [Note: 1 Tessalonicenses 2:12. 2 Coríntios 5:14.]; yea, moreover, by a love of holiness itself [Note: Salmos 119:128.] — — —

We must not however imagine that it is by any power of his own that he thus “purifies himself;” the duty and the exertion are his [Note: Tiago 4:8.]: but the power, both to will and to do, proceeds from God alone [Note: Filipenses 2:13.]

We shall improve this subject,

1. For conviction—

[All profess to have a hope in Christ: but before we conclude that to be well-founded, we must examine what fruits it produces: Are we seeking after universal holiness? Are we contented with no measure of holiness short of perfection itself? Are we setting the Lord Jesus before us, and taking him for our pattern in all our tempers, and in our conduct towards God and man? This is the criterion by which St. John himself teaches us to judge of our hope [Note: ver. 6–10.]: and St. James confirms it—by declaring, that, if in any one point (the not bridling of our tongue, for instance) we allowedly deviate from this path, “our religion is vain [Note: Tiago 1:26.].” O consider this, lest your hope be only as the spider’s web, that will be swept away with the besom of destruction!]

2. For encouragement—

[Though we must not think our hope well founded, unless it produce in us the fruits of righteousness, yet we must not imagine that our righteousness is to be the ground of our hope, or even our warrant to hope in Christ. The only ground of our hope must be found in Christ, and in the promises which God has made to those who believe in him. We must go to Christ as sinners; and then he will enable us to live as saints. This distinction is clearly marked in the text: our hope in Christ is to precede, not to follow, the purification of our hearts: and our holiness is to be the fruit, not the root, of our hope. The same distinction is made by St. Paul also, who, having spoken of our sonship with God, says, “Having therefore these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God [Note: 2 Coríntios 7:1. See the same also by St. Peter, 2 Pedro 1:4.].” We must not wait till we are cleansed, and then embrace the promises: but first embrace the promises; and then make use of them for the cleansing of our souls.

What encouragement does this afford to those who feel the corruption of their hearts, and who, if their own purity were to be the foundation of their hope, would be in utter despair! Go then, how polluted soever ye are, and seek pardon and sanctification at the hands of Jesus; and you shall find him “faithful and just to forgive you your sins, and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness [Note: 1 João 1:9.].”]