The Christian's Hope and its Fruits
A. Jenour, M. A. 1 John 3:3 And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure. The one great object of the revelation which God has given us, is to make us happy in making us holy. To this end every part of revealed truth more or less directly tends. I. THE CHRISTIAN'S HOPE — WHAT IT IS. This hope is, that he shall in every respect, in body as well as in soul, be made wholly like his Saviour. Further, observe that this is a real hope. It is not a mere wish, a doubtful surmise, a faint desire; it is a sure and certain hope. "We know that when He shall appear we shall be like Him." And, let me add, that hope implies not only a bare expectation, but expectation accompanied with desire, consequently, if the great subject of his hope be the presence of Christ, that presence is what the Christian will desire above all things, and feel to be the perfection of happiness. II. THE EFFECTS OF THIS HOPE. "Every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." Now, observe in this the implied certainty of the connection between the hope of the Christian and the life of the Christian; between the sure anticipation of glory hereafter and holiness here. Here, then, are two points we have to consider the extent to which the Christian attains purity, and how far the work of purification is his own. With reference to the first point the meaning manifestly is not that the Christian is even now actually as pure as Christ, but that he endeavours to make himself so. But in what sense is this work his own? The Christian does not, as an independent agent, purify himself. The idea is absurd, and involves an impossibility. But although the work of purification is God's, we are not mere machines, nor does He treat us as such. He deals with us as with rational, intelligent beings, capable of discerning between good and evil, and of choosing for ourselves. (A. Jenour, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. WEB: Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.