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Pure in Heart and Life, December 19
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is
pure.
1 John 3:3
.
John was a teacher of holiness, and in his letters to the church he laid down
unerring rules for the conduct of Christians.... He taught that the Christian must
be pure in heart and life. Never should he be satisfied with an empty profession.
As God is holy in His sphere, so fallen man, through faith in Christ, is to be holy
in his sphere....
There are those who profess holiness, who declare that they are wholly the
Lord’s, who claim a right to the promises of God, while refusing to render
obedience to His commandments. These transgressors of the law claim every-
thing that is promised to the children of God; but this is presumption on their
part, for John tells us that true love for God will be revealed in obedience to all
His commandments. It is not enough to believe the theory of truth, to make a
profession of faith in Christ.... “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his
commandments,” John wrote, “is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” ...
John did not teach that salvation was to be earned by obedience; but that
obedience was the fruit of faith and love.... If we abide in Christ, if the love
of God dwells in the heart, our feelings, our thoughts, our actions, will be in
harmony with the will of God....
There are many who, though striving to obey God’s commandments, have
little peace or joy. This lack in their experience is the result of a failure to
exercise faith. They walk as it were in a salt land, a parched wilderness. They
claim little, when they might claim much; for there is no limit to the promises of
God. Such ones do not correctly represent the sanctification that comes through
obedience to the truth. The Lord would have all His sons and daughters happy,
peaceful, and obedient. Through the exercise of faith the believer comes into
possession of these blessings. Through faith, every deficiency of character may
be supplied, every defilement cleansed, every fault corrected, every excellence
developed
[360]
35
Ibid., 559-564
.
374