Keeping the Self in Purity (1 John 3:3-6)

KEEPING THE SELF IN PURITY (1 JOHN 3:3-6):

After acknowledging the believers that they are Children of God and proclaiming the privileges for the children of God, Apostle John further instructs the believers to keep themselves away from sins. The author writes that everyone who thus hopes in Christ purifies himself as He is pure. The person who genuinely puts trust in Jesus strives to preserve his faith by keeping His commandments, thereby leaving out everything that is directionless and ungodly. Though one faces the temptations of life and even if falls into the temptations, the person who hopes in Christ hates the cause of temptations always and put the best efforts to get rid of it by depending on God and gaining strength in God. The person who knows Christ knew that He is pure and thereby the person doesn’t delight in something that provides temporary gratification of self at the cost of destruction of other people or laws of nature. A true believer continually purifies himself till the end of life, striving to achieve the likeness of Christ. 

Apostle John also writes that everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness, as sin is lawlessness. Sin is disobedience to the instructions or commandments given by God. The person who sins thereby practices lawlessness as they rule over the laws given by God in terms of relating to the other human beings and His other creations.

Apostle John further writes that the believers know that Christ appeared in order to take away sins and in Him there is no sin. Therefore no one who abides in Him keeps on sinning and the one who keeps on sinning has not either seen him or known him. Christ came into the world, lived a perfect life with values that are higher and He taught the higher principles too. All the things through Christ are for showing the people the right path, helping them to live a life free from guilt and heaviness, having reconciliation with God, providing a relationship with God by taking away sins, as Christ is without sins.  A person who abides in Christ strives to follow the teachings of Christ completely. Though there may be some struggles and difficulties, that person never keeps sinning by depriving others or himself. Whoever had known Christ in the way He is, could not keep on sinning as there is no sin in Him. The person continually sinning had not really encountered Christ personally and had not known Him as the way He should be known personally, according to the Word of God.

Stimulations for Self-Reflection:

1.      What a person who hopes in Christ does? How?

2.      What a person who practices sinning does? How?

3.      What is lawlessness?

4.      Why Christ appeared?

5.      How Christ take away sins?

6.      What does one who abides in Christ does not do?

7.      Who has not seen Christ or known him?

8.      How can we purify ourselves? Justify whether it is one point or a process?

9.      Justify whether we are sinless, also whether we had seen and known Christ?

10.  How can we abide in Christ?