1John 3:3: Everyone Who Hopes in Him (Christ)

1 John 3:3
[3] And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (ESV)

Have you ever had a hero in your life?  When I was a teenager I began learning how to play the bass guitar.  I remember listening to the band Yes.  I heard the bass guitar in their music.  I was blown away by the sound that Christopher Squire (Yes' bass guitarist) was getting out of his bass.  I began to try to make my bass sound like his.  But, there were two problems.  One, I was nowhere near as good as my musical hero.  Additionally, I did not have a Rickenbacker Bass.

For years of playing the bass guitar the standard was set.  I wanted to play like Christopher Squire.  I would need to have a bass guitar like his and I would have to work harder at my skills.  Well, I know that my skills are nowhere near to those of my hero, but after waiting almost thirty years my sweet wife bought me a Rickenbacker Bass! 

You may be wondering what my bass guitar hero story has to do with today's verse.  Consider that we have now become children of God.  We know that one day we will be transformed into the likeness of Christ.  He is our hero.  He is our Savior.  He is the one whom we all long to be just like.  The Apostle John is telling us that while we await our transformation there are actions that we take now.

Everyone who hopes in Him (Christ) actively purifies himself.  Now, we understand that Christ is part of that process of purification.  Only his precious blood provides the forgiveness that we need to wash away sin.  But, we are called to lay aside our sins and pursue different priorities.  If we truly long to be like Christ we will want to change our behaviors so that they begin to resemble those of our Savior, and hero.

The Apostle Paul reminds us:

2 Corinthians 7:1
[1] Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. (ESV)

Is Jesus Christ your hero?  Do you want to be like him?  As you await your ultimate transformation when he returns, begin to cleanse yourself from the things that are not like him.  Ask him to help you. He is very willing.