1 John 3:2 - We Shall Be Like Him!
1 John 3:2 (NIV) Dear friends, now we are
children of God, and what we will be has not yet been
made known. But we know that when he appears, we
shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
1 John 3:2 (AMP) Beloved, we are [even here
and] now God's children; it is not yet disclosed
(made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we
know that when He comes and is manifested, we
INTRODUCTION
The Christian life is a process of becoming
more and more like Christ (see Romans 8:29). This
process will not be complete until we see Christ
face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12; Philippians
3:21), but knowing that it is our ultimate destiny
should motivate us to purify ourselves. To keep
pure means to keep morally straight, free from
the corruption of sin. God also purifies us, but
there is action we must take to remain morally fit
(see 1 Timothy 5:22; James 4:8; 1 Peter 1:22).
[Life Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Recently, my sister erica texted me a
baby picture of herself sandwiched between her
two granddaughters' pictures. The three of them
could have been triplets. Erica's daughter is glad
her girls inherited their grandma's looks. I
called Erica as soon as I saw the picture. "Girl,
you've got some strong genes!"
My own boys don't look much like me, or
Scott, or each other. They are uniquely their own
people. But one thing we all have in common is our
sense of humor. Our "funny gene" has been passed
down to the next generation. Our sons may not
physically look like us, but the humorous way they look
at life is an inherited family trait.
Jesus's family traits are written on the
hearts and in the behavior of everyone who follows
Him. Loving kindness. Generous mercy. Outrageous
generosity. Inexplicable power.
Steady faithfulness. Extravagant grace.
When Jesus adopted me into His family, forgiving
my sins and showering me with His grace, His
traits began to rub off on me. His love has changed
my outlook on life. More than anything, I yearn
for His strong genes to be evident in me.
I want to be His look-alike. Susanna Foth
Aughtmon
Faith Step: Which of Jesus's family
traits have started to rub off on you? Make a list
and thank Him for the ways you resemble Him.
[Mornings With Jesus 2023 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
COMMENTARY
New Name
This morning I was reading about Jacob,
Abraham's grandson, and how he wrestled with God.
Jacob was one messed-up guy - a liar, deceiver,
thief. He spent a good bit of his life carrying the
weight of that identity. Imagine how amazing it was
for Jacob when he finally quit wrestling with
God and surrendered to his leadership. After
that, the Bible tells us that God reached down and
whispered these words: "Jacob, Jacob, you're no longer
going to be identified as Jacob. I have given you
a new name. You will now be called Israel"
(Genesis 35:10).
Like Jacob, my name used to be Shameful,
Guilty, Liar, Thief, Prideful, Selfish, and more. I
also wrestled with God, and I'm happy to say he
won. God also reached down and whispered in my
ear: "John, I have given you a new name. You will
now be called Forgiven and Beloved Child of
God."
We all know that the best and most
beautiful things in life cannot be seen or touched.
They are felt by the heart. When we finally stop
wrestling with God, when the struggle is over, we will
be ready to hear him whisper to each of us, "I
love you. I have given you a new name and a new
identity. Come closer and I will tell you what you
will now be called."
Father God, thank you for liberating me
from the shameful identity I once carried. I
cherish the new name you have given me. In Jesus'
name, Amen. [Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional
by John & Johnny Baker]
ILLUSTRATION
You'll Get There
During my last two years of high school,
I attended church with one of my high school
teachers, Mr. G., and his family. On more than one
occasion, Mr. G. would listen to my teenage troubles
and say, "Don't worry. You'll get there." After
graduation I joined the navy and lost contact with Mr.
G. for many years. During that time, I became
an atheist and spent the next eighteen years
totally apart from God. But no matter how bad things
seemed, I would always hear Mr. G. saying, "Don't
worry. You'll get there. Sometimes that was the
only hope I had.
Finally, in 1997. just when things
couldn't have been worse, God began to reveal himself
to me, and in January 1999, I placed my faith
in Jesus Christ. Sometime later I began to
understand how unlike Christ I was. It was then that I
found 1 John 3:2 and realized that even though I'm
not as much like Jesus as I want to be, there is
coming a day when I will be. Then I remembered how
Mr. G. would always say, "Don't worry. You'll
get there." I was deeply moved.
In my youth, I didn't know where "there"
was, but I do now. When I find myself worrying
about how slow my progress seems or how often I
fail, I remember God's promise that when Christ
appears in that moment - I will finally be there.
Bea Kennedy, wife of Terry and mother of
Aubrey, is a Sunday school teacher, an Awana leader,
and the oldest daughter of third-generation
Salvation Army officers. [The One Year Bible Live
Verse Devotional]
CLOSING THOUGHT
God Will Finish What He Started in You
God always finishes what he starts - and
that includes shaping your character. God has
been molding your character to be like his
Sons.
You were created to be like Christ.
But heres the best part: God will
complete what doesnt get finished in this life.
Hell finish your character and bring you to
perfection in heaven.
The Bible says, I am sure of this,
that he who began a good work in you will bring
it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ
(Philippians 1:6 ESV).
That will be an amazing day! On that day,
youll see Jesus face-to-face. Every neuron in your
brain will go on overload. And youll be
transformed to be like him.
All your weaknesses will be gone.
All your limps will be gone.
All your failures and frailties will be
gone.
All your insecurities will be gone.
You will be transformed into perfection that
day. You will totally reflect the glory of God.
Right now youre not what you ought to
be. You are only a fraction of what you will be.
But God says, Thats okay. Im taking my
time. Im cheering you on at every stage. Just
take every step with purpose, because one day
Im going to finish what I began. And youre
going to be changed instantly into my
likeness.
That will be a day like no other.
The Bible describes that day like this:
Dear friends, we are already Gods children,
but he has not yet shown us what we will be like
when Christ appears. But we do know that we will
be like him, for we will see him as he really
is (1 John 3:2 NLT).
We have all stumbled in this race of
life. All of us have struggled. But our race is
not over.
One day we will see Jesus face-to-face.
And well never be the same again. [Daily
Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/ re Philippians 1:6]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY
2 Corinthians 3:18 - More and More Like
Jesus!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220825-0814.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
