Hope in Jesus: 1 John 3:1-3

“And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 Jn 3:3, NASB).

It is my personal belief that the year 2020 A.D. will go down in history as one of the most pivotal years in history. The COVID-19 pandemic is causing changes in almost every area of our life. In spite of all the turmoil and violence caused at least in part because of social injustices, racial discrimination, political and economic confusion, dissatisfaction, and uncertainty, there are experts that are projecting when things will return to normal. Others are projecting what the new normal will look like. These experts are saying to us that there is hope for the future. We will overcome and we will survive all of the problems that we are facing today.

The book of 1 John is a letter written by John who is one of the twelve disciples that Jesus chose to be an apostle to go to the entire world to preach the gospel: the good news that the promises of God to send a Savior as spoken of by the prophets is fulfilled. They are to begin with the people of God scattered throughout the Roman Empire. As they preach the gospel and teach the commandments of Jesus they are to include people of every ethnic group, speaking every language, and every cultural background. No one is to be excluded. The only requirement is that people listen to the message. The message invites all people to believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God; the Messiah (Christ) that God sends into the world to redeem human beings from their bondage in sin to be reconciled with God. Thus, the gospel is a message of hope and everyone is invited to participate in this hope. This article is written because this writer believes that regardless of one’s life circumstances there is hope for everyone. The church must proclaim this truth.

The church today is not unlike the church in John’s day. The members of the church are ordinary people living in a world of competing philosophies, ideologies, theological affirmations and questions. There are various groups that are unsatisfied with their society. They want change in government and how society views and treats member of society that are considered to be of the lower class. The church is challenged by people that want the church to give its power and influence to governments.

As we live with the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are being told repeatedly to “trust the science.” Now, from a health perspective this is good advice. However, I maintain that there is a subtle message being sent. The message is sent positively by telling us to trust the science. At the same time there is another message being sent negatively by what it does not say. We are being told to trust the science, but we are not being told to trust God. It is like brainwashing. If you tell a person the same thing repeatedly the person will accept that what is being said is the reality of the way things are. The challenge of the church today is to make known to its members the value of science while sending a clear message that science has its limitations. God is creator of all things, and God provides through different disciplines things that are needed and beneficial to the world at large and the church particularly. At the same time the church continues to make the preaching of the gospel its primary and most important message. The church must continue to tell people to trust God above all other powers.

John writes this letter to the church to specifically address the heresies that are creeping into the church. John is an eyewitness to the life and ministry of Jesus (See 1 Jn. 1:1-4). John writes to tell who Jesus is and to describe what Jesus is like. Jesus is the Light come into the world to make God known. He comes to restore fellowship between God and human as well as to establish fellowship between those that believe in Jesus. He dies on the cross and because He dies He is able to redeem us from our sin, and He continues to be our advocate when we sin. John warns the people about the antichrist that inhabits the church. These false teachers deny that Jesus is the Son of God. John reminds the people to hold to the truth that they know and reject the liars and the deceiving lies that they are proclaiming.

Those that deny that Jesus is the Son of God concentrate on how to obtain and benefit from the things in the world. They are not concerned about the things of God including and most importantly eternal life. Their hope is that they are able to have the best life possible now. On the other hand, the gospel is a message of hope in this life and the life to come. John says that those that believe that Jesus is the Son of God are children of God. John is unable to describe what everything will be like in the world to come. Believers can be sure that their future life will be with Jesus. This is the hope that they are to hold to.

Those that hope in Jesus separate themselves from the world. Their hope in Jesus means that they practice righteousness and love each other. In the world people are often like Cain who murdered his brother because “his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous” (3:12, NASB). John wants the Sons of God to know the difference between living in the world and loving the world. Those that believe in Jesus have the hope of eternal life.

The church must not allow itself to get caught up in the world’s problems. The church does not have its hope in a better world without God. Regardless of the situations that exist in the world. Our eternal Father loves us. We are to love Him and other brothers and sisters in Christ. We love one another and do well for the benefit of our sisters and brothers because we hope in Jesus.