1 John 3:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It should also be observed that the Apostle did not say above, "everyone who has done or will do righteousness," but "the one who does righteousness." For virtues are active and have being only while they are being performed. When they cease, or remain only in intention, they have no being.

The soul that desires to be joined to the Heavenly King and strives to come into one spirit with Him must become like the spotless and pure Beauty. This is according to the words of blessed John: "And everyone," he says, "who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

Because we shall see Him as He is. That is, as He is, so we also shall be. We are those who have this hope. This is hope in the future, love in the present, and faith in the past and present.

From these words some conclude that God created man according to the image, but not according to the likeness, and that He intends to grant the likeness. The image has been entrusted to man, and if he is worthy of it, he will also receive the likeness. But if the image is entrusted to him and he does not handle it properly, but destroys the image, who will give you the likeness? Therefore the Apostle also added: "And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

Many say that they have hope for heavenly life in Christ, but by their careless life they devalue such a confession.

The one who shows that he has the higher hope is he who applies all his strength to leading a good life.

For likeness to God's holiness in the future is possible only by sanctifying oneself in the present.

This means renouncing the impurity and desires of this age, and striving for a righteous and pure life.

We must imitate the purity of divine holiness to the extent of our powers, just as we hope to participate in the glory of Godlikeness according to the measure possible for creatures.

Whoever desires and awaits glorification on the day of the Lord's glorious coming to earth strives to live holily and righteously, since the Lord is holy and righteous.

For only the holy and righteous can see God and receive illumination from the light of God's countenance.

Jesus Christ teaches: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Mt 5:8).

The Apostle Peter writes: "As He Who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct" (1 Pet 1:15).

By the words, "Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure," the Apostle shows what our high calling in Christ summons us to and obliges us to do.

He shows what the greatness of God's love toward us obliges us to, since it grants us that we should be called and be children of God.

Thus all who believe in the Lord Jesus must be animated by the hope that one day they will be like Him, enter the Kingdom of light, and taste the good things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart (1 Cor 2:9). But so that this hope may not put us to shame, we are obliged to purify ourselves from every sin. We must purify ourselves by tears of repentance, by prayer, and by the grace-filled power of the mysteries.

"Everyone who has this hope in Him," that is, in God, "purifies himself, as He is pure." Just as in ordinary life hope sustains us in sufferings, strengthens us in activity, and helps us attain our goal, so in the religious life the hope of becoming like God elevates man and purifies him from every sin. "As a mirror reflects images only when it is clean, so only a pure soul can contemplate God and understand the Scriptures" (Theophylact). For the pure in heart shall see God (Mt 5:8).

"Everyone who has this hope": the hope that we shall be like Him and shall attain such extraordinary glory that we shall see Him as He is.

The one who has such hope in Him, that is, in God, since this hope has its foundation in Him, purifies himself.

He purifies his soul more and more from sins, voluntary and involuntary, committed through the weakness of human nature.

These sins were washed away in the laver of regeneration, yet they still assault the pure soul, whether willingly or unwillingly.

A man who has such hope in God strives to live blamelessly, holily, and righteously, in purity of conscience, in righteousness, and in the holiness of truth.

He does so as far as a man can live in this way in his sinful flesh.

The distinguishing marks of the children of God are these. First, in relation to their Father, God, they do righteousness and do not commit sins (1 Jn 3:3-10). "And everyone who has this hope in Him," that is, the hope of becoming like God in glory, "purifies himself, as He is pure" (1 Jn 3:3). This general statement contains the thought that the foundation of our future glory and likeness to God is laid here on earth by the purity of our life, according to the image and likeness of the life of Christ the Savior.

Many Apostles speak of the necessity of a holy life for those who live by such great hopes, such as attaining Godlikeness and the immediate vision of God.

See 2 Pet 3:13 and 2 Cor 6:17.

But John presents this necessity in such a way that any other life is impossible for Christians.

Indeed, is it not unreasonable to hope for the fullest likeness to God in the future life, while not striving here for divine truth and purity?

Is it not unreasonable to fail altogether to seek likeness to the sinless and holy life of Christ the Savior on earth?

On the contrary, those in whom great hopes live for eternal abiding with God are stirred and inflamed by that very hope toward a pure and holy life.