And all the ones having this, hope in him, purifying themselves just as he exists pure.*
What hope do we have in Christ? If we did not have any hope we would be pitied among men and any attempt to be pure would be vanity. We know that one day we will be like him. What is he like? in context he is pure. "At the present time we exist children of God and it is not yet manifested what we will exist, knowing that when manifested existing like him, because we see him just as he exists."* Yes, we are born of God but do not exist fully like him, he has a glorified body, one in which there is no sickness, no death, and no sin, he exists pure, whole. Surely we have this hope, one day we will be like him. John is writing all those having, possessing this in him, these who have this hope in him. So with this insight what do those who hope in him have? Well, "we exist children of God" so we have the testimony of Spirit, not a spirit of fear, but of love.
See what great love the Father has given us, that we are called the children of God, and so we exist!*
What do we have, the ones that hope in him? faith exists hope, in things unseen. So our faith gives us hope because by faith we know him. Does it not seem a contradiction of purity to exist a child of God and at the same time to live in a corrupt body and in a world that doesn't know him? we have this hope in him, that we will be like him. But what is faith without love? it is nothing. See what great love the Father has given us. This is what we have in him, those who hope in him, we have love and this is what John speaks of.
now hope does not disappoint as the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit the one given to us.*
Paul writes hope is related to the love God has for us, that he pours out into our hearts. This is what John means when he says it is not that we loved God but that he loved us. We experience, know of his great love for us. How do we know he loves us? we are born of God, of Spirit, we have testimony of Spirit. Paul writes that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces proof and proof produces hope and hope doesn't disappoint.* This word for proof is often translated character, as it speaks of a process of being tried and proven. This proving is often said to be a test of genuineness of our faith but I think it is related to the process of growth, to an approved mind... Nevertheless the proving produces hope and hope doesn’t disappoint us as the love of God is poured out into our hearts. So “all the ones having this, hope in him, purify themselves.” This speaks of the love of God.
And upon all these put on love which exists the bond to perfection.*
All the one having this great love of the father are purifying themselves. It is amazing truth, which states we are being perfected in love. Or we are being sanctified by truth in love or our faith is energized in love. “Exists no fear in love but perfect love drives out fear because fear has punishment, now, the one fearing has not been perfected in love.”* We can debate whether there exists a fear of God but the truth is that in the new covenant in his blood, fear is not the beginning of wisdom and understanding, Jesus is. And in Jesus, who is truth, we are being perfected, truth in love, so the one fearing has not been perfected in love. In other words, the one fearing punishment is not mature as fear doesn’t perfect, love does. We did not receive a spirit of fear but of love. Perfect love drives out fear and purifies. In this we see the concept of our perfection, maturity, being in love. Truth is perfecting us in a bond of love. Think about it, if you know someone loves you, there exists a bond, you trust them, so when they speak truth you know their intentions are true, you know that their motives are pure as Paul writes agape love is pure in motive. I believe this is the reason Paul writes tithing in the new covenant is a stumbling block to many.*
In this we know agape love, that he laid down his life on our behalf and also we are obligated to lay down out lives for our brothers.*
This is how we test the spirits, those born of God love his brethren.* Love is not in words only but in action, deeds, so the bond of love is also, more than just in words. And we who know God thus we know what love truly is and the action involved in agape love, in this the manner of God's love is manifested to us. So if we know the love of God, how he love us, we would lay down our lives for our brethren. And this is what Jesus said, “in this all know that you exist my disciples, if you have love in another.”* John relates obedience to following this new commandment to love one another, this important command Jesus gave us. Now, we see perfect love, the bond of love, perfection in love. Those matured in Christ, know the bond of love leads to perfection so they will love as Christ has loved them, the outcome of love is purity in truth. And all the ones having this love, purify themselves.
How He Loves
What hope do we have in Christ? If we did not have any hope we would be pitied among men and any attempt to be pure would be vanity. We know that one day we will be like him. What is he like? in context he is pure. "At the present time we exist children of God and it is not yet manifested what we will exist, knowing that when manifested existing like him, because we see him just as he exists."* Yes, we are born of God but do not exist fully like him, he has a glorified body, one in which there is no sickness, no death, and no sin, he exists pure, whole. Surely we have this hope, one day we will be like him. John is writing all those having, possessing this in him, these who have this hope in him. So with this insight what do those who hope in him have? Well, "we exist children of God" so we have the testimony of Spirit, not a spirit of fear, but of love.
See what great love the Father has given us, that we are called the children of God, and so we exist!*
What do we have, the ones that hope in him? faith exists hope, in things unseen. So our faith gives us hope because by faith we know him. Does it not seem a contradiction of purity to exist a child of God and at the same time to live in a corrupt body and in a world that doesn't know him? we have this hope in him, that we will be like him. But what is faith without love? it is nothing. See what great love the Father has given us. This is what we have in him, those who hope in him, we have love and this is what John speaks of.
now hope does not disappoint as the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit the one given to us.*
Paul writes hope is related to the love God has for us, that he pours out into our hearts. This is what John means when he says it is not that we loved God but that he loved us. We experience, know of his great love for us. How do we know he loves us? we are born of God, of Spirit, we have testimony of Spirit. Paul writes that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces proof and proof produces hope and hope doesn't disappoint.* This word for proof is often translated character, as it speaks of a process of being tried and proven. This proving is often said to be a test of genuineness of our faith but I think it is related to the process of growth, to an approved mind... Nevertheless the proving produces hope and hope doesn’t disappoint us as the love of God is poured out into our hearts. So “all the ones having this, hope in him, purify themselves.” This speaks of the love of God.
And upon all these put on love which exists the bond to perfection.*
All the one having this great love of the father are purifying themselves. It is amazing truth, which states we are being perfected in love. Or we are being sanctified by truth in love or our faith is energized in love. “Exists no fear in love but perfect love drives out fear because fear has punishment, now, the one fearing has not been perfected in love.”* We can debate whether there exists a fear of God but the truth is that in the new covenant in his blood, fear is not the beginning of wisdom and understanding, Jesus is. And in Jesus, who is truth, we are being perfected, truth in love, so the one fearing has not been perfected in love. In other words, the one fearing punishment is not mature as fear doesn’t perfect, love does. We did not receive a spirit of fear but of love. Perfect love drives out fear and purifies. In this we see the concept of our perfection, maturity, being in love. Truth is perfecting us in a bond of love. Think about it, if you know someone loves you, there exists a bond, you trust them, so when they speak truth you know their intentions are true, you know that their motives are pure as Paul writes agape love is pure in motive. I believe this is the reason Paul writes tithing in the new covenant is a stumbling block to many.*
In this we know agape love, that he laid down his life on our behalf and also we are obligated to lay down out lives for our brothers.*
This is how we test the spirits, those born of God love his brethren.* Love is not in words only but in action, deeds, so the bond of love is also, more than just in words. And we who know God thus we know what love truly is and the action involved in agape love, in this the manner of God's love is manifested to us. So if we know the love of God, how he love us, we would lay down our lives for our brethren. And this is what Jesus said, “in this all know that you exist my disciples, if you have love in another.”* John relates obedience to following this new commandment to love one another, this important command Jesus gave us. Now, we see perfect love, the bond of love, perfection in love. Those matured in Christ, know the bond of love leads to perfection so they will love as Christ has loved them, the outcome of love is purity in truth. And all the ones having this love, purify themselves.
How He Loves