“Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3
The Bible makes it clear that all believers are expected to go from being converts to being disciples. The Bible also acknowledges that everyone doesn’t mature at the same time or pace. It also teaches that all who claim to believe are not true believers: the wheat and the tares will dwell together until Christ returns. So how do we gauge ourselves and grow from spiritual infancy to maturity? What are the determining factors that make us willing to lay down the pleasures of the flesh, take up our cross, and follow the Savior? John makes the connection between hoping in Christ and purifying ourselves. We must first believe, not only that God is real, but that His promises are true and trustworthy. This lays the foundation for placing our hope in Him. The believer who sincerely trusts the Lord with their life and places their hope in Him will see the call to holiness as a blessing to embrace and pursue, not a burden to run from.
Dear Lord,
You are altogether trustworthy: the essence of truth and love. Your word does not return void but accomplishes all that you intended for it to do. Thank you for being the author and finisher of my faith. By grace, I stand on your Word and embrace your promises. My every act of obedience is rooted in this hope I have in you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
For further study:
Matthew 28:19-20
Matthew 7:21 / Matthew 13:30
Hebrews 10:23
Hebrews 12:2 / Hebrews 11:1; 11:6
Psalm 119:114 / Psalm 130:7
Colossians 1:27 / Romans 15:13
Romans 8:24-25
Romans 15:4 / Romans 12:12
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