He shall Appear and We Shall Be Like Him

“….. We Shall See Him As He Is.”

“Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the sons of God……” (1 John 3:1)

We are sons (and daughters) of God by way of adoption through our being born again or born from above. We hear it said today regarding all of mankind that we are all children of God. In the sense of creation, this a certainly true; God created us all. However, in the sense of relationship, this is not true. To have a relationship with the Lord, we must come to Him in repentance and faith, believing that Jesus paid for our sins on the cross. The Lord cannot call us His own unless this is done. In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, it says: “But as many, as received Him (Jesus), to them He gave power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on His Name.” We can see from this verse that becoming a son of God is conditional. We are not sons or daughters of God by natural birth, but by rebirth in the Spirit. Again, when we place our faith in Jesus and His great work at the cross we are born into the family of God by faith.

“……Therefore the world knows us not, because it knew Him not.” (1 John 3:1)

The world does not acknowledge that we are sons and daughters of God by relationship to Him through faith because it does not acknowledge Jesus as the only way to God. 1 John says, “Whoever denies the Son, the same has not the Father.” There are those today that believe that there is a God but do not acknowledge that He sent His Son as the savior of all mankind. Or if they do, do not place their faith in the Son and His great work at the cross to establish a relationship. So, they do not understand that relationship with the Lord must be established by repentance and faith in Christ crucified.

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God and it does not yet appear what we shall be…” (1 John 3:2)

The above verse is stating that even though we do not yet have our glorified bodies that we will receive in the resurrection, we are “sons of God” today in the same sense as we will be then. We will be changed by the Lord at the resurrection, but our relationship with the Lord is established now as we come to Him in faith. The Lord has not revealed to us in total all we shall be when we receive our glorified bodies, but we are no less sons of God today then we will be after we receive our glorified bodies. The following gives us some insight into just what we will happen when we do receive our glorified bodies.

“…But we know that, when He (Jesus) shall appear….” (1,John 3:2)

The Lord will appear when He comes for the church at the time of the Rapture. All those redeemed both living and dead will be caught up to be with Him forever. 1Thessalonians says, “For the Lord, Himself (Jesus) shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and the trump of God: and the dead in Christ will rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up (Raptured) together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” All believers including both the resurrected dead and those which are alive at the time of His return will be caught up to be ever with the Lord. All the redeemed will receive their glorified bodies at this time. This event, the Rapture of the church, is part of the first resurrection.

“….We shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” (1John 3:2)

This verse tells us that our glorified bodies will be like His. Philippians 3:20 says in part that we are: “eagerly waiting to welcome, the Lord Jesus Christ, and to receive Him to ourselves; Who shall change the outward appearance of the body of humiliation so as to conform it to an outward expression like to the body of His glory.” We are currently like Him spiritually in that we have been born of the Spirit and we are being conformed more and more spiritually to His likeness by the Spirit’s sanctifying work in our lives every day. The glorified body will conform our “outward expression” to be like “the body of His glory.”

“Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body.” (Philippians 3:21)

Wow, what great things we have to look forward to in the future. We will no longer be limited to this world. There will be no more sin nature, death will be no more, no more tears, no more pain or sickness. We are created beings and not God, but we will come into the fullness of being sons and daughters of God. When Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection He could appear and disappear at will and could pass through walls. Although not specifically addressed in the Bible some say that with the glorified body travel will be at the speed of thought. We’ll have to wait and see on the travel, but it goes without saying, our glorified bodies will be a vast improvement over the tent we now dwell in.

We will also see Him as He is. We can only see Him now as He is by faith for, in our current bodies, we could not look upon the Lord of glory. At the Rapture, we will receive our glorified bodies and look upon the Lord and see Him as He is. Although this will be truly amazing and we yearn for that day, the greatest promise we have regarding our future is that we will be with the Lord evermore. We are truly blessed now and have the sure hope of the Lord’s promises for the future awaiting us.

“And every man who has this hope in Him (the resurrection) purifies himself (we are sanctified by placing and keeping our faith in Christ and Him crucified. It’s the only way).” (1 John 3:3)

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Tom Quinn Ministries –tqministries.com 2020