“We know not what we shall be”; but we may be sure we shall be more, not less, than we were on earth. Our natural experiences (sensory, emotional, imaginative) are only like the drawing, like pencilled lines on flat paper. If they vanish in the risen life, they will vanish only as pencil lines vanish from the real landscape, not as a candle flame that is put out but as a candle flame which becomes invisible because someone has pulled up the blind, thrown open the shutters, and let in the blaze of the risen sun.
~From The Weight of Glory, CS Lewis
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. 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. And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as he is pure.
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen Him or known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
~ John, The Beloved Disciple, in 1 John 3
Oh beloved, it is true.
There is, for us who will believe it, and trust it – an astounding destiny. We are the very dauphin of Heaven. We are the ones who will be made just like Him.
There is a problem though. We still don’t believe it.
There is a word used in a believer’s walk. The word is sanctification. It is the process where we go from being infants, to being the fully mature sons and daughters we were Designed and destined to be.
However, the issue in sanctification is often misunderstood. And often this is because we have such a small view of our faith, and an even smaller view of its Object.
Can we see it? Read the passage.
… When we see Him, we shall be like Him…
There will no longer be any confusion.
We will see the beauty
We will taste the bounty
We will feel the Love
We will comprehend our inheritance.
And, in a deep way, we will understand that our salvation was already so incredibly enormous. It was already so complete. But the problem had always been that we could not, or would not see it.
So, what to do?
Look at Him now. See Him for Who He is. See what He has already done. His work has set us free from our blindness. And when we do, we will see that we are amazing beyond belief. And, we will see that this is already true.
So, are you struggling with trying to be like Jesus? Maybe you are getting things backwards. Don’t try to imitate Him. Let Him show you (and this fool of a writer) what He is like. And once we do, the change will occur within us automatically!
Tonight is your night beloved. Time to behold Him!
Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a divine center, a speaking voice, to which we may continuously return. Eternity is at our hearts, pressing upon our time-torn lives, warming us with intimations of an astounding destiny, calling us home unto itself…. It is a seed stirring to life if we do not choke it…. Here is the slumbering Christ, stirring to be awakened, to become the soul we clothe in earthly form and action.
~Thomas R. Kelly (1893-1941)
