37. 1Jn3_2 Present Reality Future Hope

1Jn 3:1-3  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.  (2)  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.  (3)  And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Last month, we saw in verse one God’s proclamation of who we are. John gave us the command to see or behold the kind of love that God has bestowed upon us, and in it, we answered several questions. To see or behold is not a casual observation but a purposeful, concentrated focus on that which we are commanded to observe. In this verse, we are not commanded to focus on God but on that which He has freely bestowed on us – His love. The fullness of it cannot be measured; its purity cannot be quantified. Refined gold is never 100% pure. Every gold bar you see will have some percentage of 99 stamped on it. There is no measure of impurity in God’s love for His children. His love is displayed in the outpouring of His grace and mercy, worked out in His decrees through His providential working in creation, in time, space, and history.

We are called God’s children, not by the world, because the world does not know us because it did not know Him, but by the proclamation of God Himself. The wonder of it stretches beyond what the imagination can comprehend.

I. Essential Truth – Beloved, we are God’s children now.

Term of Endearment

Beloved is a term that we have seen once before, but it is used several times in this epistle. It is John’s favorite way to refer to those to whom he is writing. It can also be said that because every word is inspired by God, John’s reference to the church is also God’s reference to His people. We are His beloved. Deu 33:12  Of Benjamin he said, “The beloved of the LORD dwells in safety. The High God surrounds him all day long, and dwells between his shoulders.” Beloved is an adjective. What does an adjective do? It describes or modifies a noun. This term is derived from the Greek word ‘agape’, meaning the love that is bestowed freely without consideration of value or return from the object loved. It is not initiated by an external force. In other words, there was nothing that provoked God to love us besides His own free will to do so. Our Father addresses us with the same term of endearment as he addresses His Son Jesus.

Mar 1:9-11  In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  (10)  And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.  (11)  And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Note that in our verse, John does not qualify ‘beloved’. He does not call us a little beloved, or moderately beloved, even as He does not qualify the beloved in reference to His Son. He does not say He is the most beloved or the fully beloved. He says, “You are My beloved Son”. You may be asking yourself, “Brother, are you implying that God loves us as absolutely as He loves His Son?” My answer to you comes from Rom 8:32  He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? It does not say that God gave us up to spare His Son, but that He did not spare His Son for us.

And it was for the joy set before Him, the Son endured the cross and despising the shame and now sits on the throne having accomplished the will of the Father in the redemption of His people.

Again, I find myself at a loss for words. What words could adequately convey the worship, praise, and adoration that is due Him.

Statement and Emphasis on Our Present Reality

The word “now” emphasizes our present reality. John is saying that we do not expect to be the children of God; we are the children of God. A better translation includes the words “and we are.” The child of God can say emphatically, “I am a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ.” We don’t hope to be, we don’t expect to be, but the thrilling fact is that every believer can exult and rejoice and constantly thank Him that he is God’s child. We are boasters not in ourselves, but we are boasting of the wonderful Shepherd that we have.

“We are” - We unites John with his readers. The present tense signifies that we will never be "disinherited" as some earthly fathers do to their physical offspring.

1Pe 1:4-5 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, (5) who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

In contrast to the changing whims of earthly fathers, we as children of our heavenly Father can be absolutely assured that we will obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away. Reserved signifies a "permanent reservation" which cannot be "cancelled"! in heaven for (us), who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Divine Relationship – God’s children ESV, children of God NASB, NKJV

Children – this is the Greek word that refers to posterity, or children to their parents. We have discussed the doctrine of adoption many times, highlighting the inherent blessings, benefits, and privileges associated with it. It isn’t only a legal position but also a relational one. The text that we read from Galatians, Gal 4:4-6  But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,  (5)  to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.  (6)  And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"

I like the ESV’s emphasis on us as children being God’s possession. In times past, being a US citizen meant something in the world. There was a sense of protection in that nations knew the US would defend and protect its own. It is in large part why the Soviet Union never invaded NATO because it understood that the US was the backbone and foundation. To attack Europe was to invite a confrontation with the military might of the US.

We are not only citizens but children of the Almighty God. He is our strong fortress and protector. One of my favorite narratives in the OT is when the Assyrians came against Jerusalem. King Hezekiah brought into the temple the letter written by the Assyrians and laid it out before the Lord and prayed. Hear God’s response and the result. 2Ki 19:32-36  "Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: 'He shall not come into this city, Nor shoot an arrow there, Nor come before it with shield, Nor build a siege mound against it.  (33)  By the way that he came, By the same shall he return; And he shall not come into this city,' Says the LORD.  (34)  'For I will defend this city, to save it For My own sake and for My servant David's sake.' "  (35)  And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the LORD went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead.  (36)  So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh.

Psa 91:1-5 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. (2) I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" (3) For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper, And from the deadly pestilence. (4) He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. (5) You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day;

You are God’s own child and as such there is nothing and no one who is able to threaten your divinely appointed place and position if indeed you have closed with Christ by faith for the salvation of your souls.

II. The Mystery of the Future Transformation – and what we will be has not yet appeared.

“Not yet” is an adverb which strongly negates an extension of time beyond a certain point = not yet, still not. It implies a future “yes, then” Beloved, "no, not yet, but yes, then" ought to be our continual mindset. “Not yet” clearly promises a cessation to our present natural appearance, which will be superseded by our supernatural appearance when He appears! The focus, in my opinion, is not that we will be fundamentally different in terms of our body, but on His return and that we will see Him just as He is. Is this grand truth not every child of God's "blessed hope", a hope which, like an anchor, sustains us when the times are tough and the storm clouds of affliction hide our Father's face? When those seasons come beloved, may the Spirit bring to our minds a vivid recollection of the truth "no, not yet" but "yes, then" and may this sure truth enliven a faith in future grace which enables us to walk daily by faith and which stabilizes our "spiritual compass" so that we keep on pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

We are already, today, children of God. However, we do not yet realize or experience all the benefits that salvation promises for God’s children. We are still in process, a work under construction, a divine work of art that is not yet complete.

We rejoice in the fact that we are presently God’s children, but we are aware that the work of God continues on in us.

What we will be has not yet been made manifest. There is still divine mystery in that it all has not yet been revealed even to the Apostle John. John does not say who. We already know who we are. It is the what we will be that is in question. We know Christ appeared to the Apostles. Will our body be like His or something different? The only assurance we have is that it will be different from the body our souls are currently residing in.

In the mystery, there is still assurance. – We know, when He returns, we will be like Him

While our final destiny as the children of God has not yet been either fully or openly revealed, John makes it clear that believers can be fully confident that this glorious promised manifestation will occur in the future when Christ appears. In other words, John does not say, "We speculate that we might be like Him," but rather that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we will be like Christ someday in the future.

There are two words for knowing in the Greek: Oida and ginosko. Ginosko refers to that knowledge which is acquired over time and with instruction. Oida, which is used here, is referred to as intuitive knowledge. In this case, it is a knowledge that comes as a result of believing and being a child of God. It is knowledge that has as its foundation the assurance of faith.

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

It is this knowledge that God imparts.

Jer 31:34 "And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD , "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

This knowing is knowing two things. 1) The Lord’s return and 2) we will be like Him.

John MacArthur - It has been rightly said that imitation is the highest form of praise, and this transformation (We will be like Him) will be a supreme tribute to Jesus Christ—that He is the Chief One, the prototokos, among many who are made like Him. Those whom the Father has elected to salvation through the Son will be made like the Son, conformed to the image of Christ. He will be the first among His elect and redeemed humanity who will join with the holy angels to praise and glorify His name, reflect His goodness, and proclaim His greatness, as they worship Him endlessly.

The Believer’s Joy – we shall see Him as He is.

During a long trip or even a short one, there is always an anxious desire to come home and see my wife. It is a joy to behold her face and delight in being with her again. All of us, whether long in the faith or for a relatively short time, have the longing in our hearts to see Him, whom we have never seen with our eyes, but know through His word and converse with in our prayers. It is this anxious longing building up in our souls to see our Lord. Noah and Amy’s baby will be born in October, and I can tell you the tension for me to see her is already at a fever pitch. But this is a small thing in comparison to the joy that we will have when we see our Lord Jesus just as He is.

His return and seeing Him as He is means that this life of travail is over. Our journey in the wilderness is complete. We have arrived at our eternal rest, which is the God of our salvation. May this assurance be the vehicle on which our perseverance to the end rides. May God bless and keep us all.