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.
1 john 3:2
Notice that John uses the word “know.” He’s talking about assurance. So what do we know?
We know that we will see Christ
“We know that when he appears… we shall see him as he is” (3:2). The Christian life is a life of faith. We love, trust, and follow a person we have never seen. But it will not always be so. Jesus said, “I will come again.”
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus prayed, “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory…” (Jn. 17:24). And here John says, “We shall see him as he is.”
We know that we will be like Him
“We know that when he appears we shall be like him” (1 Jn. 3:2). Not only will we see His glory: We will share it. And that means that we will see a reflection of the Lord’s glory in each other.
Your spouse, if he or she is a believer, will be made perfect. Your family member with health struggles will be strong in body and mind. Your friend who fought with depression will be radiant with joy.
We know that we are children of God. We know that we will see Christ, and that we will be like Him. God wants you to live in the joy and peace of knowing that these gifts are yours. So, hear His promise: “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God” (5:1).
Spend some time thanking God for the promise that we will see Christ and we will be like Him.
