What Will We Be Like When Jesus Returns?

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 1 John 3:1-3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

 John's gospel is also called the "relational" gospel.  While Matthew, Mark and Luke focus more on the events in Jesus' life, John focuses more on how Jesus came to earth so God could be known by us.  We see this reflected in John's letter to early Christians as well.  One of the issues John is addressing is the worldliness he is seeing in the church. He keeps emphazing that if they keep on "sinning", they are not showing they are in an authentic relationship with God. I.e. They don't really know who God is.    

 But our new identity is in Christ.  We are under new ownership and new management.  We are "born again". We are sons and daughters of God.  While we know God through the power of the Holy Spirit, there will be a day when we will know God in a different sense.  John says that when Jesus returns we will be like him as a result of seeing him as he is.  We were made in God's image and through Christ we are born again.  But who we are has not yet been fully realized.  

 In a few days we celebrate Christmas where Jesus came in a manger.  The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.  Jesus grew up with earthly parents and was obedient to them.  He grew going to the temple and teaching the elders when he was only twelve.  By age 30 he began his ministry, teaching and called his disciples.  He revealed God's love through words and deeds which showed what God's kingdom in heaven looks like on earth. Three years later Jesus died on a cross, and three days after that he rose again.  He appeared to many of his disciples men and women,  proving He had risen like he said he would.  After 40 days he returned to be with the Father.  What's left?  For him to come back in great and promised glory.  

 And the great promise we are given today is when we see him, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.  

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