Behold what manner of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we will be; we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. Everyone who remains in Him does not sin; everyone who sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. My little children, do not let anyone deceive you. The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose: to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God practices sin, because His seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
The passage invites us to look at the identity we have in Christ and the hope of a future manifestation that transforms us. If we are children of God, our life should reflect that reality: a righteousness that comes from fellowship with Him, a struggle against sin that does not come from mere willpower but from God’s work in us. This reality is not for feeling superior, but for living with humility and confidence in the grace that sustains us daily, especially when the world does not understand our relationship with Him.
For Sunday the 19th, let us remember the ultimate motivation: remaining in faith produces a purification that aims toward Christlikeness. May our hope not be fleeting, but active in obedience, holiness, and practical love, so that when we see others we may reflect that hope and encourage them to seek God in all truth, with persevering faith and joy in the Lord.