“See how great a love[1] the Father has bestowed on
us, that we would be called children of God; and we such we are. For this
reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we
are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know
that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He
is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is
pure.”
Looking for Jesus, hoping for
Jesus, having our eyes fixed on Jesus, looking toward that Day when we will
know Jesus as He knows us – “everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies
himself, just as He is pure.”
Our hope is to know Jesus
better today than we did yesterday. What more can we possibly hope for? Jesus
says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” We cannot purify
our own hearts, but Jesus Christ can as we behold Him.
We know that we did not create
ourselves. We know that the world is not as it should be. We know that we are
not as we should be. Those who know Christ are aware that they were once dead
in trespasses and sins, and hopefully they have a sense that while the “already”
is indeed true, that the “not yet” is also true. What better thing can we do
than to seek Him who seeks us? To look for Him who looks for us? To fix our
eyes on Him (Hebrews 12:1 – 2) who is able and desiring to transform us into
His image?
We look to be improved and
transformed by earthly things, forgetting that it is foolish, having begun in
the Spirit to seek perfection by the flesh (Galatians 3:1 – 3). Our souls are
being molded for eternity in Christ, should we not seek the eternal? Do we have
difficulties within us? Do we wrestle with our imperfections? Do we have fears?
Jesus knows everything within us, Jesus knows us and He loves us with a love
that transcends our comprehension – and if we would only learn to fix our eyes
on Jesus, on the things above (Colossians 3:1 – 4), knowing that in Jesus
Christ are “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3) –
this Jesus whom we crucified, God has made both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).
Is this too simple for us?
This idea of having our hope in Jesus, our eyes fixed on Jesus? We are not
talking about an idea, a philosophy, an image, a literary figure – we are
speaking of the resurrected Son of God who created all things and in whom all
things are held together (Colossians 1:15 – 18). We are talking about God
coming to earth, and not just coming onto the earth, but coming into humanity in Bethlehem, the Word was
made flesh and tabernacled among us. Think of it, the Creator of the universe,
of all that we see and all that we cannot see, the Almighty, the All-knowing –
God of very God came into humanity
because He loves us, because He loves you.
Can there be any doubt that He
desires to transform you, His beloved, into His own image? He says, “Look to Me
and be transformed. Put your hope in Me and allow Me to purify you.” Do we not
think that a relationship with the Living God is transformational? Why divert
our attention to anyone other than Jesus? To anything other than His Word? We
are little and His is big. We are weak but He is strong. When our legs become
tired He will carry us, when our hearts are weak He will strengthen us. When we
put this house of flesh off He will clothe us with inconceivable glory.
Can there be a purer thought
than Jesus? Can there be a greater hope than Jesus? Can there be a greater joy
than His appearing in our lives? Can there be a sweeter sound than the voice of
His Word? Can there be a more refreshing breeze than that of the Holy Spirit?
Jesus yearns for a wedding
Day. Oh my, “what a Day that will be when my Jesus I shall see, when I look
upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace” (lyrics by Jim Hill).
Simplistic? Think about it.
How can yearning for Jesus be simplistic? How can knowing Jesus be simplistic?
Have we so overeducated ourselves as to blind ourselves to the reality of the
ever-present Christ in His people? Have we so overloaded ourselves with therapeutic
deism that we have lost the transformational reality of Jesus Christ in His
people? Do we have so much noise in our lives that we cannot hear the Gentle Shepherd
calling to us? Does Jesus walk among us and we not know it? Do we talk so much
that we do not listen? Do we look at ourselves rather than at the Cross?
Are we too religiously busy
for Jesus? Are we so enamored with religion that we do not know Him and fail to
count everything else but garbage, waste, disgusting sewage? (Philippians 3:1 –
14). Do we seek the thrills of ecstasy? Do we seek the intellectual
satisfaction of theology? What is our litmus test? What is our benchmark for
Christian legitimacy? Our mode of baptism? Our mode of the Lord’s Supper? The
type of building we meet in? Our polity? The way our services should start,
progress and end? Where do we find our validation?
There can be no validation
other than that which comes from Jesus, no justification other than that which
comes from Jesus, no transformation and sanctification other than that which
comes from Jesus; no hope, no glory, no lasting peace of mind, no joy
unspeakable and full of glory – there can be nothing of lasting value unless it
comes from Jesus Christ.
Simple? We will not think
Jesus simple on that Day when He is unveiled in all of His Father’s glory – we will
fall to our faces and every knee will bow and every tongue confess (Philippians
2:5 – 11).
“But of Him [God] you are in
Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God – and righteousness and
sanctification and redemption that, as it is written, He who glories, let him
glory in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:30 – 31).
“And everyone who has this
hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
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