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(Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash. Berean Standard Bible.)

Welcome to the Hope Bible School verse-by-verse Bible study of 1 John. This is Jeff M Newman. Get a new lesson every other week on Mondays at 12:00 PM Pacific.

In Lesson 77, we are going to study the second part of 1 John 3:2.

Let’s read this part of the verse.

1 John 3:2 … We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him …

Let’s go over the definitions of the words.

We know (1492. eidó) — means to know with certainty or confident understanding.

That (3754. hoti) when (1437. ean) Christ appears (5319. phaneroó) — means when Christ is revealed or made manifest in glory.

We will be (1510. eimi) — means to be or to exist.

Like (3664. homoios) Him (846. autos) — means believers will be like Christ, sharing in His likeness in nature and character, while remaining distinct from Him.

In other words, we know with certainty that when Christ is revealed, we will be like Him, sharing in His glorified humanity and character, not as His equals, but as those transformed by His glory, while remaining distinct from Him.

Now, let’s dig into this part of the verse.

John begins with “we know.” He wants believers to live with certainty. This hope is not based on wishful thinking or mere speculation, but on the promises of God. John wants believers to understand their future with confidence and assurance.

When he says “that when Christ appears,” he is speaking of the visible, bodily return of Jesus Christ in glory. John anchors the believer’s hope in a real, future event that will change everything.

Next, he says, “we will be like Him.” When Christ returns, believers will experience full conformity to Jesus in holiness and glory. This does not mean a loss of individuality or personality, nor does it imply equality with Christ, but that our character and nature will be perfected according to His image. We will share in His moral purity, complete freedom from sin, and a resurrected, glorified body.

Right now, believers are being transformed day by day through the ongoing work of sanctification. Yet when Christ appears, that transformation will be brought to completion. Glorification is the final stage of salvation, when believers fully share in Christ’s likeness and enjoy perfect, unhindered communion with God.

Salvation, then, is not merely deliverance from God’s judgment, but the full restoration of our nature and life into the glory of Christ.

Let this truth shape the way you live today. Let it inspire holiness and purity in your daily life. Live with confidence, hope, and joyful obedience, knowing that God’s ultimate goal is to make you like Jesus.

Let us examine several passages of Scripture that affirm the truth that when Jesus appears, we will be like Him.

In Romans 8:29, we read about God’s eternal plan for His people. His purpose is to bring believers into full conformity to the image of His Son, a goal that will be completely realized when Christ appears.

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