HOPE THAT PURIFIES

1 John 3:1-10

1. THE PLIGHT OF THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS

   --John makes it clear that there are always going to be those who persist in their practice of lawless living, rebelling against the Lord, living for their own pleasures.

   --In this passage we can see that there are several reasons people continue to practice lawlessness:

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3. 1. THEIR HOPE IS NOT CERTAIN

      --When our hope rests in Jesus Christ and His death on our behalf,
      when it consists of absolute certainty about the status of our sin and condemnation,
      when it contains a transformed identity as a new creature living in a new kingdom under new management, and
      when it knows where it is ultimately going, then that hope leads us to avoid lawless and ungodly living.

      
      
   2. THEIR SIGHT IS NOT CLEAR

      --When people live with their eyes fixed on Jesus, unrighteous living cannot compare with the greatness of living for Him.

      
      
   3. THEIR EFFORTS ARE NOT CONCENTRATED

      --If their eyes are not focused on Christ and they are not looking to Him and for His coming, their efforts to conform to His image will never be anything more than half-hearted at best.

      
      
   4. THEIR PURITY DOES NOT CONCERN THEM

      --The bottom line for those who continue to practice lawlessness instead of pursuing purity is that purity does not matter to them as much as their other pursuits.

4. THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE WHO ARE COMMITTED TO PURIFYING THEMSELVES

   --John looks at this situation and writes words intended to encourage the believers to remember who they are in Christ.

   1. WE ARE LOVED AS CHILDREN OF GOD

      1 John 3:1

      --As His children, He shows how great a love He has for us through His Son.

      --Living for Him now brings with it the greatest imaginable privileges and pleasures, but He wants us to know that "it has not yet appeared what we shall be" when we see Him face to face.

      
      
   2. WE ARE HOPEFUL BECAUSE WE KNOW HIM

      --We know Him now and we will know Him when He comes, never fearing, dreading or shrinking away at the idea (2:28).

      
      
   3. WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL SEE HIM

      --Since we know Him, we are confident that when He appears, we will surely see Him just like He said we would.

      
      
   4. WE ARE GUARANTEED THAT WE WILL BE LIKE HIM

      --But the amazing thing we look forward to as a crucial aspect of our hope is that we shall be like Him.

      --Not only will we see Him, but when we do, we shall be changed and be made like Him!

5. THE PURITY OF THOSE WHO ARE CALLED TO PRACTICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS

   --Suppose then that you have heard and understood all that John has said but you still struggle with purity, you still fight to live in a righteous manner.

   --Although this is by no means intended to be a comprehensive list, there are several things that have and can be done by those who are called by God to practical righteousness.

   --Here are a few practical things you can do:

   1. THEY MAKE A COVENANT WITH THEIR EYES

      Psalm 101:2-3; Job 31:1

      --Without laboring on this point, what difference would it make in your life with Christ if you had a better handle on what you put before your eyes?

      --Most of us have seen and heard about and read about more despicable things this month than our grandparents would have heard in their entire lives!

      --We do not have to put up with that, no matter how many excuses we may try to make about the pervasiveness of ungodly things paraded before our eyes.

      --What kind of covenant will you make with your eyes today that will lead you toward rather than push you away from purity in Christ?

      
      
   2. THEY MAKE A COALITION WITH THE RIGHTEOUS

      --God does not intend for you to pull this off by yourself.

      --As a matter of fact, if you do not get into accountable relationships with other believers, you are in serious trouble!

      1. Negatively Stated; Psalm 1:1

         --We cannot spend all of our time in the company of the ungodly without reflecting something of their world view, something of their attitude, something of their vocabulary, and something of their values.

         
         
      2. Positively Stated; Hebrews 10:23-25

         --We need each other for encouragement, for accountability and for the reminders of godliness that come when we are around others who are pursuing the same things we are.

      
      
   3. THEY MAKE A CLEAN-SWEEP OF IMPEDIMENTS

      Romans 13:14

      --We sometimes have to take bold steps to get rid of the impediments with which we have surrounded ourselves if we expect to move forward with the Lord.

      --Has the Lord ever asked you to do something you resisted, or even rejected as too radical a step?

      Matthew 5:29-30

      
      
   4. THEY MAKE NO COMPROMISES WITH THEIR COMMITMENTS

      --God is a jealous God and that is not a character flaw on His part!

      --He simply knows that He cannot, will not, and must not allow us to share our affections with another once we have committed ourselves to Him.

      --He must be your first love, first in your affections, first in your consideration, first in your desire to please.

      
      
   5. THEY MAKE CORRECTIONS IN THEIR WAYS

      --They see the right way and make the necessary corrections in their lives to walk in the ways of the Lord, leaving behind the familiar paths of their old haunts.

      --When we recognize that where we are going has the smell of the works of the devil along the road, we must be ready to turn immediately and allow the One who has destroyed the works of the devil to prevail and lead us back to His way.

   6.  I pray that it blessed you let it feed your soul