Beloved, Now Are We the Sons of God

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

    Because of his sovereign, eternal love, we are now (at this present time) sons of God. The people of the world know you as an earthly son, brother, or sister; but they do not know you as a son of God because they do not know God. They did not know his only begotten Son when he came to this world, and they rejected his claims as they will deny yours! But though this world does not recognize us as sons of God; though our present condition is far short of his glory; though our bodies are but flesh and death is before us; though we are subject to many miseries, temptations, and trials; though we are aware of the sin within us; now, at this very moment, we are sons of God! From what we are, it does not appear what we shall be; but when he returns, we shall see him as he is (not. as he was on this earth in the likeness of sinful flesh); and we shall be like him! Then the world will know what we now know, that we are the sons of God. “I in them, and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me” (John 17:23).