“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.”
The Face
John names both a present reality and a future hope together here, now are we the sons of God, already, genuinely true, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, honest acknowledgment that the fullest expression of this identity remains still ahead, not yet fully visible even now.
Notice we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is, the specific mechanism named for this future completion, seeing producing likeness, the same pattern this whole movement has traced across its own thirty days, beholding genuinely transforming, culminating here in this final, complete, face to face seeing still to come.
This closes the loop this whole final movement has been tracing. Beholding with open face already producing change, from glory to glory, and now, this ultimate completion, we shall see him as he is, the fullest possible beholding, producing the fullest possible likeness, still genuinely ahead, not yet fully arrived.
Whatever incompleteness remains in your own transformation, hold it today alongside this verse’s confident hope. Now are we the sons of God, already true. We shall be like him, still becoming true, both held together, present reality and future completion, the same pattern this whole book has traced from its very first day.
Turn Your Face
- Hold today’s present reality, already a child of God, alongside this future, still-unfolding hope.
- Consider what it means that seeing him as he is will produce final, complete likeness.
- Trust this future completion is genuinely coming, not merely aspirational or uncertain.
Prayer
Lord, now am I your child, and it does not yet appear what I shall be. But I know that when you appear, I shall be like you, for I shall see you as you are. Amen.
Carry this today
Present reality and future completion are held together, both genuinely true.