Charles Spurgeon Commentary 1 John 3:2

"Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is." — 1 John 3:2 (ASV)

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.

And that vision will be transforming and transfiguring. The pure in heart see God, and they are pure because they see God. There is both action and reaction: when God has purified us, we will see Christ, and when we see Christ as he is, our purification will be complete. When will that day arrive? Oh, for the blessed vision!

Meanwhile, let us be content to look at him by faith, and to be ever growing more and more prepared for that brighter vision which is yet to be ours.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God,

It is enough to make the lame man leap as the hart to hear that blessed statement, and to know it to be true.

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.

In proportion to our view of Christ is our likeness to him. Those who never saw him are not like him at all; those who have to some degree seen him are to some degree like him, those who see him as he is are like him. There is a transforming power about the image of Christ when it is seen by the soul: We shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, —

Not merely in heaven, or when we come to die, but now, in this place, in our pain, in our sorrow, yes, notwithstanding our imperfections and infirmities, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God," —

And it doth not yet appear what we shall be:

We are made like Christ; but when he was here, it did not then appear what he was to be. If you had seen the lowly Nazarene, who was despised and rejected of men, could you have guessed what he will be in his glory when it pleases God to judge the world by Jesus Christ? So, similarly, 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 (1 John 3:2).

Every spiritual sight of Him is transforming. Our looking at Him here makes us what we are; our looking at Him in the end shall make us like what He is. Oh! what joy to know that the medicine for our souls is taken in through the eyes of faith, and by the sight of Christ we are healed!