1 John 3:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

NIV: All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

NASB: And everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

CSB: And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.

NLT: And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.

KJV: And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

NKJV: And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Because believers have hope, and anticipate being with Jesus for eternity, they pursue a pure life. The goal of living a pure life is to be like Christ. He is pure, and believers seek to live like Him. This lays groundwork for comments John will make later in this chapter, depicting sin as incompatible with fellowship in Christ.

Purity is a strong theme in the New Testament. In Matthew 5:8, Jesus taught, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Paul sought to present believers as a "pure virgin to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:2). Believers are to "be pure and blameless for the day of Christ" (Philippians 1:10). First Peter 3:2 speaks of the "pure conduct" a believer should pursue, which stands out to unbelievers. To be pure is to be free from sin, to live increasingly like Christ in a world filled with evil. Those who do can look forward to heaven rather than fear future judgment.

First John 3:1–3 highlights the amazing love God has for us. Not only is He willing to call us His children, we actually are His children. Some of that transformation is immediate, but not everything we will be has been revealed, yet. Only when Christ returns will we see everything He has in store for us. John also connects a relationship with Christ to ''pure'' living.

The third chapter of 1 John focuses mostly on the concept of love. Because of His love, God not only calls us His children, He actually makes us His children. John also explains how sin, including hate, is never the result of a proper relationship with God. Christians, in contrast to the world, are supposed to do more than simply ''feel'' love; we are to act on it, as well

Chapters 1 and 2 introduced the stark differences between those who truly have fellowship with Christ, as opposed to those who are ''in darkness.'' Chapter 3 continues this discussion, with a particular emphasis on love. This serves as a bridge, between John's descriptions of lives lived abiding either in darkness or light, to an explanation of how God's faithfulness gives us confidence as Christian believers.

First John seems to assume that the reader is familiar with the gospel. Rather than re-state these facts, John is concerned with building confidence in Christian believers. At the same time, his words encourage believers to examine their own lives for signs of their relationship with Christ. This letter also challenges false teachers and their incorrect claims about Jesus. Many themes are shared with the Gospel of John.

Accessed 5/7/2024 7:27:24 PM