“We Shall Be Like Him”

“1John 3:1-3”

Our Position – 3:1

A.     Chosen by the Father (Eph.1:5)

1.       God predestined us to adoption as sons.

a)        Just as He chose Israel to be His special people (Deut.7:8), He also chose the church, family of God.

1)        agape love seeks to meet the needs of others (John 15:13).

(a)      Christ is our Lord, we are His servants & He even calls us friends (Jn.15:15)

2.       Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us.

a)        Loves origin, “The Father”

1)        God is love (1Jn.4:8, 16)

(a)      Love is not caused by us (Rom.5:8, 1Jn.4:8-10)

b)        Love’s objects, “On us”

1)        It is amazing that God even thinks of me (Ps.8:4, Heb.2:6)

2)        I cannot merit it (Eph.2:8-9)

c)        The Love of God is “unique”

1)        “What manner of love, what quality of love,” or “from what country,” is this kind of love.

(a)      Mark 4:39-41

(b)      2Peter 3:11

3.       That we should be called children of God…now we are children of God (1Jn.3:1,2)

a)        We were rebels, aliens, children of wrath (Eph.2:1-3)

1)        We have been transformed, not reformed (2Cor.5:17), being born a second time (Jn.3:3)

(a)      I have “received a spirit of adoption” (Rom.8:15).

(b)      God is no longer my judge but my Father

(c)      I now come to Him with confidence (Heb.4:14-16), knowing He will here my prayers (Jn.11:42)

B.     Hated by the World (v.1)

1.       The world did not know Jesus; therefore, it will not know us.

a)        The world hated Jesus therefore it will hate us (Jn.15:18-21).

1)        If the world loves you something is wrong!

(a)      The world will do these things because it has not known the Father nor Jesus (Jn.16:3)

1.         Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-2

2.         Philippians 3:6 Paul thought he was offering God service (Gal.1:13)

2.       The man born blind (John 9:1-41)

a)        His parents feared the Jews (v.22)

1)        They reviled him (v.28) Jesus said you are blessed (Luke 6:22)

(a)      They do not know where Jesus is from (v.29 cf. Jn.1:10)

(b)      Therefore they cast him out (v.34)

1.         John 15:20… Philippians 1:29… 1Thess.3:3… 1Peter 4:12-16…

II.            Our Potential – 3:2

A.     Anticipation…”It has not yet been revealed what we shall be.”

1.       When we believe in Christ, we inherit Christ.

a)        Believers enter into an eternal oneness with Christ, Christ Himself indwells in us (Col.1:27).

1)        Jesus prayed to the Father “that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and You in Me” (Jn.17:22-23)

2.       A great day awaits for God’s people (Col.3:4)

a)        The Nature of the Resurrection Body.

1)        We will neither marry or be given in marriage (Matt.22:30)

(a)      Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1Cor.15:50)

1.         Our bodies must be specially suited for the eternal state of existence

2.         Our present bodies are not suited for the eternal existence.

3.         Our present bodies will cease and the needs of it in the life to come.

4.         Our bodies after the resurrection will retain human form

a.         John 20:27—the wounds from his crucifixion were still visible

b.         Luke 24:39—He was not a phantom—He looked human in every regard

c.         Luke 24:13-18—the disciples never questioned His humanity after His resurrection

d.         Luke 24:42-43—He ate real, earthly food

e.         John 20:19-28—Yet-His body could pass through solid walls

f.          Luke 24:36—He could suddenly appear out of no where

g.         Luke 25:41; Acts 1:9—He could ascend directly into heaven in bodily form

h.         Philippians 3:21—Our bodies will be like that—“Christ will transform our body that it may be conformed to His”

(b)      Our bodies will be a glorified likeness of what it was on earth

(c)      We will not only recognize our friends, but, without introduction, the prophets, apostles, confessors, and martyrs of whom we have read or heard about while on earth.

1.         Moses and Elias were recognized by the disciples (Matt.17:4)

2.         We are to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in heaven (Matt.8:11)

(d)      Our Future bodies will be incorruptible never to decay (1Cor.15:42)

(e)      Our future bodies will be a resurrected body of glory & power (1Cor.15:43)

3.       Therefore, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58).

B.     Completed…“when He is reveled…”

1.       We shall see Him as He is

a)        Men at war long to see their children, not through pictures, but face to face one day.

1)        We have never seen Jesus, but God has given us pictures of Him in the four gospels.

(a)      Some day our faith will turn to sight (1Peter 1:8)

(b)      One day we will see Him face to face (1Cor.13:12)

(c)      Matt.5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

1.         We will see the Father, Son, & the Holy Spirit.

2.         Not with our bodily eyes, because God is invisible (1Tim.1:17)

3.         But with the eyes of our understanding, being blessed with the most full, perfect, and clear knowledge of God, and of divine things. 

2.       We shall be like Him (Rom.8:29)

a)        To be conformed into the image of God’s Son means:

1)        Glorification in body (Phil.3:20-21)

(a)      to be adopted as a son of God (Eph.1:5).

(b)      to be holy and without blame before Him (Eph.1:4; 4:24).

(c)      to bear the image of the heavenly: which is an incorruptible, immortal body (1Cor.15:49-54; cp. 1Cor.15:42-44).

(d)      to possess a perfect body and being (1Cor.15:51-57)

(e)      to be recreated just like Him (1 John 3:2-3).

This means that blind people will see Him, lame people will walk, deaf people will hear, those who are mute will talk.

There will be no deficiency, no disease, no death, in our new heavenly bodies.

b)        Purity of Character.

1)        You & I need God’s wisdom (James 3:17)

2)        Sexual purity, living a moral life (1Thess.4:1-8)

3)        Not to fellowship with an immoral person (1Cor.5:11)

4)        Not to talk or joke about immoral subjects (Eph.5:3-14), but rather expose them to the light.

5)        Think on things that are pure (Phil.4:8)

c)        Satisfaction of heart (Psalm 17:15) – our soul will never thirst again for things eternal.

d)        Fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11)

e)        Perfect security (1Thess.4:17)

III.        Our Practice – 3:3

A.     Who Is Our Hope?

1.       Those who believe.

a)        Looking for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God & Savior (Titus 2:13)

1)        Who… has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1Pet.1:3).

2)        Jesus said, “because I live, you will live also” (Jn.14:19)

2.       Those who do not believe.

a)        Without Christ… having no hope and without God in the world (Eph.2:12)

1)        The results of not having God in your life (Romans 1:18-32)

B.     The Imminence of the Second Coming  Holiness

1.       Purifies himself, just as He is pure – The Moral Test

a)        The one who is truly saved cannot continue in a pattern of unbroken sin

1)        Obedience (1Jn.1:6, 2:3-4; 2:29, 3:3)

2)        Cleansing ourselves from the filthiness of the flesh & spirit (2Cor.7:1)

3)        Purifying our hearts (James 4:8), keeping yourself pure (1Tim.5:22), from idols (Acts 15:28-29), keep yourselves in the Love of God (Jude 1:21)

4)        Pursue peace & holiness (Heb.12:14)

C.     How Should Christ Imminent Return Affect Our Living?

1.       Motivate us to be godly, watchful pursuers of righteousness (2Tim.2:22).

a)        One day we will stand before His judgment seat (2Cor.5:9-10).

1)        Therefore, we should want to meet the Lord with joyful assurance (1Jn.2:28), knowing that a divine reward awaits those who look for His second coming (2Tim.4:8; cf. Phil.3:14; 1Jn.3:2-3).

2.       Our Lord Himself warned His followers to be ready (Matt.24:42-44)

a)        Jesus promised that He will serve those disciples who have been watchful & ready (Lk.12:37)

3.       We must be men and women of prayer (Luke 21:36 cf. 2Thess.1:11)

a)        Be serious & watchful in your prayers (1Pet.4:7)

1)        Because we act according to the way we think (Prov.23:7), believers must guard their minds and keep them clear and fixed on spiritual things (Col.3:2), (Phil.4:8; Col.3:16; Titus 2:11-12)

2)        Making our minds captive to Christ (2Cor.10:5), and His Word (Joshua 1:8) keeps them safe and allows us to see things from God’s perspective.

3)        The combination of godly thinking and spiritual alertness is essential in any believer’s life “for the purpose of prayer” (1Pet.4:7)

The Righteousness of Christ (Phil.3:9)

(1)        To know Christ is to have His righteousness, His holiness, & His virtue imputed to us.

(2)        It is promised to the conqueror, that he shall be “clothed in white raiment” (Rev.3:5)

(3)        The elders about the throne are “clothed in white raiment” (Rev.4:4)

(4)        The multitude before the throne are “clothed with white robes” (Rev.7:9); “arrayed in white robes” (v.13); “made…white in the blood of the Lamb” (v.14).

(5)        The Lambs wife is “arrayed in fine linen, clean and white” (Rev.19:8)

The Power of Christ (Phil.3:10)

(1)        We have the power of Christ available to us daily to conquer sin (Phil.3:10)

(2)        The resurrection power of Christ deals with sin in two ways:

(a)         We experience His resurrection might at salvation (Rom.6:4) to “walk in newness of life.”

(b)        We need His resurrection power to be our resource (Eph.3:20)

Fellowship with Christ  (Phil.3:10)

(1)        When we suffer Christ is with us to comfort us (2Cor.1:5), He “sympathizes with our weaknesses” (Heb.4:15)

(2)        The true test of Character is the response to the severest times of suffering & persecution.

The Glory of Christ (Phil.3:11)

(1)        Paul’s reference to the Rapture of the Church, we will ultimately experience freedom from the presence of sin.

(2)        We long for that day because our “citizenship is in heaven” (Phil.3:20-21).

(3)        This helps us to live daily in this present age “purifying ourselves as just as He is pure”