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.
My heart beats with this verse. I long for the day for when I can see my Savior face-to-face, when I will be with Him forever. Christmas is all about how Jesus made our way to be with God possible. He is called Immanuel, which means "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). Jesus Christ - God in the flesh - came and dwelt among us. He lived the perfect life, in complete obedience to God, satisfying all of God's commands, and then He died on the cross, bearing our sin burden and taking our punishment. He came back to life three days later to signify that His sacrifice was satisfactory. He conquered sin and death. All this so that we can know God and be with Him forever. This is the great hope of the Christian: to be completely set free from the bondage of sin so that we can know God and enjoy Him forever. Currently, this hope is only realized in part. Sin still exists in our bodies and the presence of Christ is not available in its fullest form. He is still with us for He promises never to leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), but we are waiting on Him to come back and establish His Kingdom here on earth. The Book of Revelation gives us a peek at what that will look like:
Behold the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall their be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21:3-4
We will experience the pure, unhindered presence of God. This is the greatest gift: God Himself. This year the Lord has taught me what a gift sensing His presence really is. He withheld this experience from me for the first eight months of this year. He took me through the wilderness and taught me to thirst for Him (Psalm 143:6). He made me hunger for His presence, so that He was all that I sought and desired. A sweet and hard lesson, but one from which I have learned much.
The next verse, 1 John 3:3, goes on to say that those who have this hope of seeing Christ make themselves pure as He is pure. In short, this hope transforms us. If was long to see and be with Christ, our priorities and desires and ambitions change. We no longer live for ourselves, but for Christ. We no longer seek the things of this world, but Christ. We no longer see this world as our home, but realize that our home is with Christ. We no longer live our lives our own way, but in submission to Christ. This hope changes everything...and only those who have this hope in Christ can see Him.
But nothing unclean will ever enter into [the Kingdom of God], nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life...No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him. They will see His face and His name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. Revelation 21:27; 22:3-5
"I will sigh and with all creation groan for the Hope that will come for me." - C.S. Lewis Song by Brooke Fraser.
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