December 19

1 Joshua 3:1‑3
 
“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. 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 every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure” —1 John 3:1-31Behold, 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. 2Beloved, 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. 3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:1‑3).
THE manner of love spoken of in these verses, is something more than the general love of John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16). There it is love for the world. Here it is the Father’s love for His own children. He will never be fully satisfied until He has them all in the glory with Himself. Now, they are living in a scene where failure and temptations abound. When the Lord Jesus returns again they will be translated into His blessed image—to be like Him physically and spiritually and to dwell with Him and all the redeemed in the Father’s house forevermore. With such an expectation controlling us we should become more and more like Him as the days of waiting go by.
“Now with this hope to cheer us,
And with the Spirit’s seal,
That all our sins are pardoned,
By Him whose stripes did heal,
As strangers and as pilgrims,
No place on earth we own,
But wait and watch as children,
Until our Lord shall come,”