Homilies on the First Epistle of John

^6. What then shall “we” be, when we shall see this? What is promised to us? “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” The tongue has done what it could, has sounded the words: let the rest be thought by the heart. For what has even John himself said in comparison of That which Is, or what can be said by us men, who are so far from being equal to his merits? Return we therefore to that unction of Him, return we to that unction which inwardly teaches that which we cannot speak: and because ye cannot at present see, let your part and duty be in desire. The whole life of a good Christian is an holy desire. Now what you long for, you do not yet see: howbeit by longing, you are made capable, so that when that has come which you may see, you shall be filled. For just as, if you would fill a bag, and know how great the thing is that shall be given, you stretch the opening of the sack or the skin, or whatever else it be; you know how much you would put in, and see that the bag is narrow; by stretching you make it capable of holding more: so God, by deferring our hope, stretches our desire; by the desiring, stretches the mind; by stretching, makes it more capacious. Let us desire therefore, my brethren, for we shall be filled. See Paul widening, as it were, his bosom, that it may be able to receive that which is to come. He says, namely, “Not that I have already received, or am already perfect: brethren, I deem not myself to have apprehended.” Then what are you doing in this life, if you have not yet apprehended? “But this one thing [I do]; forgetting the things that are behind, reaching forth to the things that are before, upon the strain I follow on unto the prize of the high calling.” He says he reaches forth, or stretches himself, and says that he follows “upon the strain.” He felt himself too little to take in that “which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man.” This is our life, that by longing we should be exercised. But holy longing exercises us just so much as we prune off our longings from the love of the world. We have already said, “Empty out that which is to be filled.” With good you are to be filled: pour out the bad. Suppose that God would fill you with honey: if you are full of vinegar, where will you put the honey? That which the vessel bore in it must be poured out: the vessel itself must be cleansed; must be cleansed, albeit with labor, albeit with hard rubbing, that it may become fit for that thing, whatever it be. Let us say honey, say gold, say wine; whatever we say it is, being that which cannot be said, whatever we would fain say, It is called— God. And when we say “God,” what have we said? Is that one syllable the whole of that we look for? So then, whatever we have had power to say is beneath Him: let us stretch ourselves unto Him, that when He shall come, He may fill us. For “we shall be like Him; because we shall see Him as He is.”

7. “And every one that has this hope in Him.” You see how he has set us our place, in “hope.” You see how the Apostle Paul agrees with his fellow-apostle, “By hope we are saved. But hope that is seen, is not hope: for what a man sees, why does he hope for? For if what we see not, we hope for, by patience we wait for it.” This very patience exercises desire. Continue, for He continues: and persevere in walking, that you may reach the goal: for that to which you tend will not remove. See: “And every one that has this hope in Him, purifies himself even as He is pure.” See how he has not taken away free-will, in that he says, “purifies himself.” Who purifies us but God? Yea, but God does not purify you if you be unwilling. Therefore, in that you join your will to God, in that you purify yourself. Thou purifiest yourself, not by yourself, but by Him who comes to inhabit you. Still, because you do somewhat therein by the will, therefore is somewhat attributed to you. But it is attributed to you only to the end you should say, as in the Psalm, “Be my helper, forsake me not.” If you say, “Be my helper,” you do somewhat: for if you be doing nothing, how should He be said to “help” you?

8. “Every one that does sin, does also iniquity.” Let no man say, Sin is one thing, iniquity another: let no man say, I am a sinful man, but not a doer of iniquity. For, “Every one that does sin, does also iniquity. Sin is iniquity.” Well then, what are we to do concerning sins and iniquities? Hear what He says: “And ye know that He was manifested to take away sin; and sin in Him is not.” He, in Whom sin is not, the same has come to take away sin. For were there sin in Him, it must be taken away from Him, not He take it away Himself. “Whosoever abides in Him, sins not.” In so far as he abides in Him, in so far sins not. “Whosoever sins has not seen Him, neither known Him.” A great question this: “Whosoever sins has not seen Him, neither known Him.” No marvel. We have not seen Him, but are to see; have not known Him, but are to know: we believe in One we have not known. Or haply, by faith we have known, and by actual beholding have not yet known? But then in faith we have both seen and known. For if faith does not yet see, why are we said to have been enlightened? There is an enlightening by faith, and an enlightening by sight. At present, while we are on pilgrimage, “we walk by faith, not by sight,” or, actually beholding. Therefore also our righteousness is “by faith, not by sight.” Our righteousness shall be perfect, when we shall see by actual beholding. Only, in the meanwhile, let us not leave that righteousness which is of faith, since “the just does live by faith,” as says the apostle. “Whosoever abides in Him, sins not.” For, “whosoever sins, has not seen Him, neither known Him.” That man who sins, believes not: but if a man believes, so far as pertains to his faith, he sins not.