1 John 3:3 (KJV)
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Gill must have been thinking as I am, because he answers the very question that struck me upon reading this:
“…not that any man can purify or cleanse himself from sin, this is only owing to the grace of God and blood of Christ; nor that any man can be so pure and holy as Christ is, who is free from all sin, both original and actual…”
There’s the truth—none of us can purify ourselves. Gill writes further:
“…this must be understood either of a man that has faith and hope in Christ, dealing by these with the blood of Christ for purity and cleansing…”
This hope, of course, is of Christ’s return, His gathering us to Himself, and of His making us into His likeness. This hope is the fruit of true salvation. I cannot conceive of a conversion that would not result in such fruit.
The chapter goes on to describe this “fruit” as having three marks:
First: “Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not.”
We who are saved do sin—we live in corrupt flesh. But those who abide in Christ cannot abide in sin. Sin strikes us with conviction. I’ve met people who desperately want to be close to the Lord and who hate themselves for their sin. They almost torture themselves over it. But I’ve also seen those who believe they know the Lord, yet live free from guilt over sins they continue in happily. My bet is the former are the saved.
Second: “He that doeth righteousness is righteous.”
Those who have hope in Christ are convicted of their sins and compelled toward following Christ—serving Him, obeying Him. We are made the righteousness of God in Him, and that righteousness will inevitably act itself out.
Third: “…we love the brethren…”
We are no more perfect in this than we are perfectly sinless or perfectly righteous. The brethren, like us, are flawed and fallible, and at times we find ourselves at odds. Still, we are driven toward love for them, forbearance with them, and forgiveness. It’s not always easy or our first impulse, but it is where we eventually land.
Christ—the assurance of His return and of dwelling in His presence—results in a present life that is becoming of Him.
#HopeInChrist #PurifiedByHisBlood #FruitOfSalvation #LoveTheBrethren #AbideInHim
3 Fruits of True Salvation: Sin Not, Do Righteousness, Love the Brethren
If the hope of Christ’s return truly lives in us, it will show in our lives—we will sin not, we will do righteousness, and we will love the brethren. These are not works to earn salvation but the fruit that flows from it.
💬 Question for you: Which of these three marks do you find the hardest to live out daily, and why? Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear your story.
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