1 John 3:3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
As children of God we are called to imitate Him (Ephesians 5:1). Just as children imitate their parents or older siblings, we should do the same, whether directly imitating God or doing as Paul said and following his example (1 Corinthians 4:16, 1 Corinthians 11:1). We should strive to be pure, as Christ is.
But what does that mean exactly?
We know we live in a sinful world. And we know sin separates us from God (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23). We are all sinners and are all in need of salvation, which we have in Christ. As a result, we should try to live a good life, righteous and pure, like He is. To be pure is to be free from sin. But the problem is we are sinful creatures who continue to sin. That is why we should strive to be pure, being imitators of Christ.
The hope we have is better understood by looking at the verse before. In the previous verse John tells us we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. We have hope in becoming just like Him, pure and holy. So in the meantime, we try to live pure lives, holy and blameless. And we ask for forgiveness when we fall short.
Today let’s thank Him for the hope we have to be pure and holy.
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