1 John 3:1-3: "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."
Our sure hope that we will be like Jesus purifies us. We say often at this Table that this bread and wine are a foretaste of the glory to come. We are hoping for this table fellowship in glory, full reconciliation with the Lord and with others, without our sin in the way. And we will get there. We will get there because we are pure already, in Christ. We are justified by God’s grace, by faith in Jesus. That present reality propels us to purity. But this verse says there is also a tug from the future. Knowing what we are going to be – like Jesus – we purify ourselves now. And here is Jesus, giving you reminders of His sacrificial death for the world, to straighten us out into His image. He is at work, doing this, and will finish the work He started in you. Give Him thanks. Count it all joy.
3/7/10
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