1 John 3:2 - Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
There seems to be an interesting promise here. It's like John is saying that we will resemble Jesus to the extent that we have see Him for who He is. For all the striving we are urged to do in order to become more "Christ-like", this seems almost counter-intuitive.
Think about it. The only thing keeping you from being like Jesus is having a poor picture of who He is. It's like the life of God within you, Christ Himself within you, will mold you effortlessly into His image as He is revealed to you.
It's weird to think that being transformed into the likeness of Christ is the most natural thing for a believer. It's not about fighting against your flesh, denying yourself, committing yourself, trying and reaching and begging and pleading . . .
Just . . . see Jesus. See Him for who He is.
I think it's kind of like restoring an old painting that's been so covered with dirt and grime that the original picture is nearly impossible to discern. Let's take a sponge and gently wipe away the dirt and grime of religion from His features. Let love shine through, let the reality of grace be revealed, let His eyes pierce us with unending affection and His hands reach out to us in unconditional acceptance.
Let's allow the lies and dogma of religion to fall away so that all we see is Him. And in seeing Him, let us enjoy our transformation, more fully bearing His image.
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