“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).
TEXT — 1 John 3:1-4
Message
We are all familiar with the kind of feeling we have when we are expecting something new and special. It may be the prospect of a dream job, a relocation to a new and desired place or the meeting of a very special person – spouse, long time friend or a celebrity. Our excitement and anticipation cannot be hidden. As we look forward to that special thing, we cannot hide our wonder as to how we will feel when it finally comes. Actually, this kind of joyful expectation keeps us upbeat. Every day, we look forward with a lively hope.
It is this kind of feeling of joyful expectation that the Apostle John expresses in our reading today. He is astonished at the manner of love God shows towards us as Christians. It is so amazing for men to be called the sons of God. Much more exciting is the fact that we will see Jesus when He comes again. And not just seeing Him; we will be just like Him! This is indeed amazing!
When we share this same hope with the Apostle John, we will not be too bothered with our present state or lot in life. We will not be worried if the world recognises and accepts us or not. The mere fact that we are the sons and daughters of the Almighty God who is the Possessor of all things on earth and in heaven is far more sufficient for us. But far beyond who we are and what we have now is this exciting hope of who we shall be when Christ returns at the rapture! Nothing present in this world can compare with our future hope.
This exciting hope puts springs in our feet and causes us to gallop through life with the joy of the Lord, not minding our present deprivations. This hope makes us to endure all trials and temptations so that we can keep alive and be in readiness when He comes.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
