Purified By Our Living Hope.

We shall be like him- if we have THIS HOPE- we PURIFY ourselves.

Hope.

Without hope it is impossible to please God.

Heb_11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Did you notice I said without HOPE and the verse above says without FAITH?

Here's why-

Heb_11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith IS the SUBSTANCE of THINGS HOPED FOR.

Hope.

We want to know how to live a life pleasing to God, a life acceptable to God, and the only way we can do this is through the HOPE that we will be LIKE HIM one day. 

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 

1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 

NOW we are the sons of God.  We don't know what we will be, but we DO KNOW when Christ comes again WE WILL BE LIKE HIM.  This is our HOPE. Christ is our hope!

1Ti_1:1  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope

YOU and I are followers of JESUS CHRIST, and as such the LORD JESUS CHRIST IS OUR HOPE. Our Lord Jesus Christ will purify us - He is our HOPE. We will one day be pure as He is pure- purified by HIM.

Col_1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory

Christ is the hope that purifies us!

Christ must be real to us, living in us, our HOPE. We cannot hope in anything else, Christ alone will save us. Eternity is our future, not this world.

We purify ourselves by letting Christ in our lives a living hope.

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

1Pe 1:4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 

1Pe 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 

1Pe 1:6  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 

1Pe 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 

1Pe 1:10  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 

1Pe 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 

1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.