 |  |
AS HE IS--WE SHALL BE" (I John 3: 2).
"We know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him." Again we deal with that
which is absolute. "We shall be like Him," and perfect love will have reached its goal.
Can we not better understand the reason why the apostle introduces this marvellous
subject with the words, "Behold what manner of love!" What is to be the outcome of this
glorious position? "Every one that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is
pure." According to many, possibly among them some who will see this little magazine,
certainty means license. They think that it is presumption to "know" that which God has
declared. Scripture does not veil the fact that there will always be those who "turn the
grace of God into lasciviousness," but this by no means alters the relationship established
between I John 3: 2 and 3. The reasoning of the heart will be, Am I as He is by grace in
Christ? Oh, that I may be more like Him in practice. Am I to be like Him in the future?
Oh, for grace to be more like Him now.
Keeping I John 4: 17 in mind we turn to I John 2: 5, 6. Again we shall read of God's
love being perfected, but this time dealing with the conditional side of sanctification:--
"But whoso keepeth His Word, in him verily is the love of God perfected. In this
know we that we are in Him. He that saith he abideth in Him ought Himself also so to
walk, even as He walked."
Even in this conditional setting the keeping of the Word is a proof of our being in
Him; not that the keeping of the Word either places us in that blessed sphere, or secures
us when we are there. By comparing I John 4: 17 with I John 2: 5, 6, it will be seen that
God's love to us, and our love to God, meet together in the Lord Jesus Christ as their
great goal; both point forward to likeness to Him. The believer's love to God urges him
to seek more conformity to the image as its goal, perfect likeness to Christ in resurrection
glory. Be it noted that this verse does not say, "We ought to be as He is," but it says,
"We ought to walk as He walked." Many have gone into all kinds of excesses in their
endeavour to "walk as He walked," forgetting that I John 1: 7 must be included, and that
henceforth we know Christ according to the flesh no longer. I John 1: 7 speaks of
walking in the light. This is how the Lord Jesus always walked whilst here on earth.
In the very presence of God, in the light of the holiest of all; what a position to be
found in! what a position to abide in! No creature preparation or perfectness can avail
there, in fact, any attempt at such only shows the failure to appreciate the heights of
holiness demanded by that brilliant throne. What is our warrant for daring to walk in the
light?
"As He is we are."--Is this "sinless perfection?" No! If we say we have no sin we
deceive ourselves. If we say we have not sinned we make God a liar. It is not by
covering up our sins, neither is it by imagining ourselves to have become sinless, that we
draw near to the presence of the Lord. No! it is by reason of the wondrous grace that has
made us "accepted in the Beloved," that has made us "meet to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in the light." With all our imperfections still upon us, with all
our sins of omission and commission, we may draw near to walk in the light. Do we