1 John 3:1-3

1: See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2: Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
3: And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

*** 

We see John's love evident not only toward other believers, but toward the Lord. We also see his awareness of the love of God toward His children. As he says later in 1 John 4:19, "We love, because He first loved us." John considered the great love the Father has toward us in calling us His children. Yet, He doesn't just call us His children, we actually are His children when we are born again through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. How great a love He has toward us!

John explained that this is why the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. People of the world do not know, understand, or even seek to know Christ or those who follow Him. We are His children now, yet the fullness of that reality will appear when He appears. We will bear His image and be like Him because we will see Him just as He is. As we behold Him now, it's like looking in a mirror. We see His glory, and as we do, we are transformed into the same image (2 Corinthians3:18).

This is our destiny--to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). The more we see who He is now, the more we are transformed into His image now. When He comes, we will see Him as He is. Just having this hope of being like Him, seeing Him, knowing Him fully for who He really is, purifies us just as He is pure. The longing to know Jesus is a purification in and of itself. Our faith is that we long to know Him, and be like Him, and when He comes, it will be fully realized.



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