Morning Moments

When I was a boy, my mother worked in the Tax Office with my dad. When I would get home from school and needed a snack, I would go into the kitchen and be creative. Usually about a quarter to five my mother would call home (knowing what I had been up to) and say, “I’ll be home soon, make sure that kitchen is clean when I get there.” Now ideally, I would clean up as I went along. I do that now! By the time I have food served, the pots and pans are clean and the work space is clear. That is precisely what John is saying here - The Lord is coming, so make sure your heart’s clean. That is what the prophetic promise should prompt us to do. Consider:

The Promise of Our Personal Relationship “the father”
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

The Discovery “manner of love”

Someone has described the word “behold” in the vernacular as “get a load of this.” It really conveys the idea of gazing intently to understand. The phrase translated “what manner” originally meant, “from what country.” If I may paraphrase, John is saying, “Look good, man, this love is out of this world.” There is no love like it anywhere else. Have you made that wonderful discovery?

The Donation “bestowed”

The word “bestowed” conveys the idea of a gift that is undeserved, permanent, and abiding.” I once had a man call me to pick him up for lunch. After we ate, he asked that I take him by an automobile dealership. He asked which of the new cars I would buy if I were he. I asked a couple of questions to help determine preference. Then he asked, “which would you get if you were buying?” I picked out a car, he went into the office, came back with a set of keys to a !7,600 automobile and handed them to me. I thought I would have a coronary. It was a love gift - undeserved, permanent, and abiding.

The Distinction “knoweth us not”

I have a friend who is President of Liberty University. A few years ago, when Janet and I were visiting, we attended a football game with him and his wife at the University. Just because I knew him, we got VIP treatment. We sat in VIP seats and all the rest. It’s nice to have friends of influence and position. Folks accepted me because of him. That is the very point here, but to the negative - the reason the world cannot “know” me is because they do not know him.

The Prospect of Our Personal Relationship “sons...like Him”
2 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 Present “now...sons of God”

John Phillips tells the story of Prince of Wales. When he was a boy, Teddy would got out into the streets and play with other kids without identifying himself as a prince. One day, dressed in tattered clothes, a young friend dared him to throw a stone and knock the hat off a policeman. The dare was more than he could stand, so he did it. Upon being nabbed and questioned by the officer, he admitted that he was the Prince of Wales. Of course, the officer didn’t believe him, so he turned to the other boy and asked his name. The young boy replied, “I’m the Bishop of Canterbury.” We are NOW the sons of God - by name and by nature.

The Puzzle “doth not yet appear”

There has never been a father who didn’t look at his son and think, “I wonder what will become of this boy.” With all our hopes and dreams, we are never quite sure how it will turn out - it is a puzzle. There are some things we know, and there are some things we don’t know. There are some things that are just beyond my present understanding, because they have not been clearly revealed. This is one of those things. Oh, we have some ideas. Our new body will be like His glorified body. I know that because it has been revealed, but I don’t really understand it.

The Promise “we shall be like Him”

But wait a minute! I have seed in me. I have His name and His nature, so whatever I’ll be - I’ll be like Him! Hallelujah! What a promise! What a prospect! I’m not going to be like Him because of what I have done, any more than I am what I am because of what I have done. I am a Phillips, with the Phillips name and nature - that, in and off itself assures me of something - I will become what I really am. WOW!
Mr 11:2; 1Co 8:2; Heb 12:4; Re 17:10,12

What we shall be (ti esometha). Not tines (who), but ti (what) neuter singular predicate nominative. "This what suggests something unspeakable, contained in the likeness of God" (Bengel).
Ro 8:29 to be like Jesus who is like God 2Co 4:6
We shall see him even as he is (opsometha auton kathôs estin). Future middle indicative of horaô. The transforming power of this vision of Christ 1Co 13:12 is the consummation of the glorious process begun at the new birth 2Co 3:18

The Proof of Our Personal Relationship “purifieth himself”
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 2 Pe 3:11

Our Clan “every man”

As Christians, we are in a class to ourselves. The “every man” here is referring to true believers, for we alone delight in and desire to be like Jesus. This is a bunch of rogues, but the world is not worthy of us. We may be strange, but we are straight. We may be different, but we are devoted to Him. We are not they who chose Him, but those whom He has chosen. If you’re one of us, thank God. If you’re not you can be.

Our Confidence “this hope”

This verse says that our “hope”, our earnest expectation is “on” , not “in” Him. That is significant. 1 Corinthians 3:11 says, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” All that we have been promised, and all that God will perform is based upon the sure foundation of Jesus. He is the foundation, the chief cornerstone, and we are the living stones of the household of God. The only way for that to change is for Jesus to change, and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Our Conformity “as He is pure”

As a true believer I want my motive to please the Master. I want my character to be like Christ. I want my spirit to reflect the Savior, and my speech to be in submission to the Sovereign One. He puts that desire in us. It is not of ourselves! He began a good work and will perform it 'til I am like Him. He is constantly conforming me into His likeness. He promised it and will do it.

The purpose of prophecy is to show us that God will do precisely what He said He would. He did in the past and He does in the present and He will in the future. We do not want to be ashamed when He comes, so we MUST get ready NOW. You see, Jesus made the call through the operator, John and He has simply said, “I’m coming, get this house clean!”