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. I John 3:2 (KJV)

We are a work in progress. This scripture and several others tell us that we are now God’s sons, but we are not yet perfected. Let’s break this verse down to better understand.

Now are we the sons of God

When you receive Jesus Christ as your personal savior, God makes you His son (this includes ladies too). It is an immediate change. You go from being a child of the devil to being a child of the most high God. That is why it says now we are the sons- it is not a future thing. We have it now.

And it doth not yet appear what we shall be

God is not finished with us at salvation. It is just the beginning. God gives you a new spirit. As we renew our minds to God’s Word, God changes our thinking so we think more and more like Christ does. So, we are in a process- we are not yet completed or finished.

But we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him

Jesus will change our physical bodies so that we will be like Him. At the rapture, Jesus will finish and complete the transformation that He began in us at our salvation. Our minds will be totally transformed to His way of thinking. We will have what is called glorified bodies. Our bodies will have the same characteristics and supernatural abilities that Jesus’ body demonstrated after He was raised from the dead. That is really cool.

For we shall see him as he is.

At that time, we will see Jesus as He really is, We will see Him face to face- no more veil, no more seeing dimly. Our eyes will be open, beholding Him clearly. We will see Jesus as the Apostle John did in the book of Revelation: the glorified, risen Lord. We will finally have our hearts’ desire- to be with Jesus forever and ever- in person.

So, don’t get discouraged. God is not finished with you or me yet. And he is definitely not going to give up on us.

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 (KJV)