Automatic Transcript Generated:
In 1 John 3:3 NKJV what is meant by ”Their spiritual state” ?
Speaker 1
And it reads in First John three Three in the new King James Version, what is meant by deception of the last hour by our friend Paul here on? Well. That’s an interesting question. And I’d like us to go to the book of One John Three Three because when I read this. I had a little bit of trouble.
Speaker 1
But I was a little bit confused because in First John what I read in First John Three Three. Maybe we can get it up on the screen here is what I understood was what was meant by their spiritual state. Because this verse says, and everyone who has this hope in him which is God or Jesus purifies himself even just as he is pure. So what is meant by their spiritual state? And so as far as their spiritual state, that phrase isn’t mentioned anywhere in the Bible, especially not in the new King James Version.
Speaker 1
As far as what this verse means, one John three Three, when it goes back to talking about every man that has this hope in him or God or Jesus purifies himself even as he is pure. So the spiritual state of that person who is putting their hope in God is going to purify themselves just as God is pure, Jesus is pure. And it kind of goes back to the Old Testament where God himself said he’s calling Israel to be holy. He says, Be ye holy, just as I am holy. And so it’s really a call to being in a spiritual state of holiness or purity, just like God is pure.
Speaker 1
And when you think about that, it goes back to the idea of Jesus being our example as far as what purity looks like, what does it mean to be Godly, what does it mean to follow, you know, the will of the Father? And so we see that in the life of Jesus and his perfect obedience. Honestly, the most beautiful picture I can think of this picture is really found in Philippians chapter two, verses one through five. And if we can go there really quick, philippians, chapter two, and we’ll read verses one through five. And so Paul speaking here about what does it mean to be like Jesus.
Speaker 1
And he says in one, starting in verse one, he says, therefore, if there’s any consolation in Christ, any comfort of love, any fellowship of the Spirit, of any affection and mercy. So these are characters of Christ. And keep going to verse two, and it says, fulfill my joy by being like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. So being loving, being of one according of one mind, being a team player. In verse three, it says, let nothing be done through selfish, ambition or conceit, but in loneliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself.
Speaker 1
Now, why would he say that? If you keep reading, you’ll see why again, Paul says, let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. And verse five really is the key to this. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. So just as Jesus was lowly, just as Jesus cared more about others than Himself, even as Jesus didn’t do anything out of pride or out of strife or anything to exalt Himself, he did everything for the good and the blessing of others and he did it out of love.
Speaker 1
And if you keep reading in that chapter, it’s such a beautiful chapter, but it talks about how Jesus, he was God and yet he humbled Himself and was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, because he loved us and he wanted to save us. And so we see in one John three, three, these people’s spiritual state is that they weren’t probably holy, they were just coming into the church and they needed to go through that process of salvation of we call it sanctification. It’s a fancy word that a lot of Christians use. It’s not found in the Bible, but it’s basically the process of becoming holy. And so just as Jesus is pure, Jesus is this way.
Speaker 1
This is the mind of Christ. He’s humble, he’s caring about others. That’s the state of mind that God wants us to be in and that’s what he wants us to work out in our salvation, to be more and more like Him. Now that phrase though their spiritual state, when I looked it up in the new King James version, there’s no verse that I found that has that phrase in it. But I did see something interesting in one John chapter two, verse twelve, if we could go there really quick and then we’ll wrap this one up.
Speaker 1
So first John, chapter two in verse twelve and that reads, I write to you little children, because your sins are forgiven for your name’s sake and keep going through 14. So the next verse is verse 13 and it says, I write to you fathers, because you have known him who’s from the beginning. I write to young men because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you little children, because you have known. The father in verse 14 says, I have written to you fathers because you have known him who is from the beginning.
Speaker 1
I have written to you young men, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you and you have overcome the wicked one. So basically when I looked up this phrase in the Bible, these three verses came out as their spiritual state. So this is where again, John is talking to these people. So it’s just a chapter before and God is speaking about kind of where they’re at in their Christian walk. There was men who were, there was children who were believing by faith in God.
Speaker 1
There’s fathers who were looking to God for guidance. There were young men who were strong in the faith and the truth of abiding in them. But it’s kind of beautiful. That the next chapter. God says, John tells God’s people, but don’t forget, as much as you are right with God, at this point in time, you need to make yourself pure, even if God is pure, which means that there’s always more areas to grow in our Christian walk.
Speaker 1
There’s always more areas to purify and become more like Christ. And I believe we’re not going to finish growing until Jesus comes. And I believe that’s such a beautiful aspect of the Christian life is the more you get to know God, the more you can become like Him. And the more I know I’ve seen in my spiritual walk that as I look to Jesus, I see so many things in my character. I’m like, oh, I didn’t realize I was so not like God in this way.
Speaker 1
And so it’s just beautiful to see how your spiritual state can seem okay and you can be right with God, but that doesn’t mean there’s not more room for improvement and room for growth. So I hope that answers your question, and I hope you’re blessed by this.
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In His Service
BibleAsk Team
