Anticipate the Hope of Heaven

1 John 3:1-3     

Without Jesus, nothing makes sense: man is ignorant of his past and afraid of his future. But if you only know the Savior, you have the sweetest fellowship this side of Heaven—and then think of the fellowship when we all get to Heaven!

That We Should Be Called the Sons of God

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him” (1 John 3:1). 

Sons and daughters of God. Did that sink in? You are a blood brother or sister of the Lord Jesus Christ. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).

God loves you as much as He loves His own dear Son. (See John 17:23.) “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Galatians 4:6)

What Does it Mean to be Children of God?

God provides for His children. Your Father is obligated to take care of you—and He will. (See Matthew 6:26, Psalm 37:25.)

God disciplines His children. Sometimes God engineers your trouble. Why? Because He loves you. (See Hebrews 12:6.)

God is a companion to His children. His heart is broken when your heart is broken. You don’t talk with Him as Judge, Ruler, or King. He is those things, but for you He is more. Talk to Him as your Father. (See Psalm 103:13.)

When We See Him, We Will Be Like Him

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). 

John is telling us, first, that there are things we are not supposed to know yet. That ought to be comforting. These things have been kept from us on purpose. But John tells us three things that we can know.

1. Christ is coming. He is coming back to Earth literally, visibly. Bank on it.

2. We shall see Him as He is. Jesus prayed, “Glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5).

3. We will be like Him. John links seeing Jesus with being like Him. If you were to see Him now, you would disintegrate. Your body, without being transformed, could not bear it. (See 1 Timothy 6:16.) We will have to be like Him in order to see Him as He is.

The Duty with Our Blessed Hope of Heaven 

“Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3).

In the Bible, hope means an absolute certainty mingled with anticipation. The Day of the Lord, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, is a divine certainty that should be mingled with, “I can hardly wait.”

Is your heart pure? If you knew Jesus Christ was coming back this afternoon, would you make some changes? Then make them—because you do not know when He’s coming. If you are saved, you want to live a holy life. Not because you are afraid of what God will do if you don’t, but because you are afraid to hurt God.

Don’t worry that you will have missed out on something if Christ comes back now. “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).