Episode Details

(Photo by Simon Spring on Unsplash. Berean Standard Bible.)

Welcome to the Hope Bible School verse-by-verse Bible study of 1 John. This is Jeff M Newman. Get a new lesson every other week on Mondays at 12:00 PM Pacific.

In Lesson 79, we are going to study the first part of 1 John 3:3.

Let’s read this part of the verse.

1 John 3:3 And everyone who has this hope in Him…

Let’s go over the definitions of the words.

And (2532. kai) — This word connects the verse we are studying today, 1 John 3:3, to the previous verse, 1 John 3:2, which declares that when Christ appears, we will be like Him and see Him as He is.

Everyone (3956. pas) — Means the whole, or the entirety. No one is excluded.

Who (3588. ho, hé, to) has (2192. echó) — refers to a specific group of people who hold or possess something. The verb has emphasizes ongoing possession, something presently held and continually maintained, not a one-time or past event.

This (3778. houtos) — refers to a specific, definite object of reference, not something vague.

Hope (1680. elpis) — means a confident expectation and trust rooted in certainty, not wishful thinking, but a sure and eager anticipation.

In (1909. epi) Him (846. autos) — refers clearly and personally to Christ.

In other words, every person without exception who presently and continually holds this confident, assured hope specifically focused on Christ is connected to the promise of the future transformation and vision of Christ. This hope is active and ongoing, and it naturally leads the believer to live a life of purity, reflecting the reality of what is to come.

We will study the life of purity part in the next lesson.

Now, let’s dig into this part of the verse.

The hope John describes is centered on Christ. It is not vague optimism or a wish that things will turn out well.

It is a confident expectation grounded in who Jesus is and in what He has promised.

This hope is grounded in the certain reality of Christ’s return.

One day we will see Him as He is, and we will be changed to be like Him. Our hope looks forward to a future where we will be with Christ forever, face to face.

Biblical hope is centered on a person, not an outcome.

We are not trusting in improved circumstances, personal success, or a better version of this life.

We are trusting in Christ Himself, His character, His victory, His resurrection, and His promised return.

Our hope is not, “I hope things work out,” but, “I know whom I have believed.”

Because this hope is rooted in Christ, it is full of confidence and assurance.

It rests on the historical reality of Jesus’ resurrection and the unshakable promise that He will come again.

This makes it a living, active hope, something believers hold onto now, not just a promise for the future.

John makes it clear that this hope is for all believers. Everyone who has this hope in Him shar