See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 John 3:1-3)
I was raised thinking that, even though salvation was a free gift, it was something I had to work to keep. And if I didn't obey Jesus, didn't do things right, then I would lose my salvation and go to hell forever. As a teenager, this led to a very insecure view of my standing before God. I would constantly find myself begging God not to cast me away, but to have mercy on me and forgive me. I promised him all the time that next time I would do better. Next time I would try harder. Next time I would obey, if he would just give me the chance.
I didn't believe in eternal security back then. I was always told that people who believed in eternal security (or once-saved-always-saved) made lazy Christians. They would live however they wanted because they couldn't lose their salvation. I've come since to see that believing eternal security in fact promotes the opposite - because God has saved me and will not let me go, I cannot continue living how I want to. The passage above from 1 John is one of such passages that have helped me see how this works.
Our Position Before God
Verse 1 tells us that, as Christians, we are God's children. This is not so for everyone. Only those who have received Christ, who have trusted in Him alone are called children of God (John 1:12). We are children, adopted by the Spirit, who have the right to call God, "Father" (Romans 8:14-17). God has called me his child; through Jesus Christ, He has made me his son.
God's Promise to His Children
Verse 2 points us to the tremendous promise that God has made to us: we will see and be like Christ. When Christ returns in glory, we will become like him. How? John says that it will happen by our seeing him in his glory, we likewise will be transformed. This same idea is what Paul refers to in 2 Corinthians 3:18 when he says that as we behold his glory, we are being transformed into the same image.
John tells his readers that we will be like him when we see him. This is God's promise to his children: we will be glorified. We will make it to the end. And though we do not know what that will look like, we can know that it is sure for us as believers. Paul tells us that all those who are justified, and therefore saved, will be glorified (Romans 8:30).
How the Promise Affects the Way I Live
This is a tremendous promise, but it's not something that John says so that I will not change. John means for this promise to impact how I live my life. John says that everyone who hopes in this should be changed by it. Now when the Bible speaks of hope, it's not an uncertain thing, like saying "I hope it doesn't rain today." The Bible speaks of hope as a confident expectation. It's something we bank on.
So, what should I do if I expect to be glorified like Christ at his return? John says that since we know that we will be made like him then, we should purify ourselves like him now. Believing in the surety of my salvation in God's hands should encourage me to continue to break free from the sin that seeks to destroy me and to pursue living a life of love towards all.
How Does This Work?
Today, I was tempted to get angry and yell at someone. But in that moment, I recalled these verses, and reminded of these truths, I turned away from anger and responded rather in a more appropriate way. The Spirit reminded me of the promise and moved me to respond with God-honoring practice.
We must strive to keep God's truth before us. When we firmly hold to his promises to us, we will be better equipped to glorify him with our beings.
Posts
