Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!  Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.  (2) Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed   what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

This letter was written by the Apostle John.

We know what is important to a writer of Scripture by repitition of phrases.  This is what God wants us to know.  The essential truth that we are NOW children of God describes our current position as believers in Christ Jesus and this fact should dominate our lives.  If we do not realize this we will not relate our trials and suffering to our relationship to God.  Jesus told the faithful that they will suffer because He had suffered.  If we did realize this our conduct would reflect this belief.

John is saying that when Jesus does return we will be like Him – this is our future hope.  It means we are not like that now.  Now we live in the flesh and we will not be perfectly sanctified in this life.  Our future as the faithful is certain based on the promises of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament.  This is true historical fact and not subjective reality.

Our behavior, our priority, must be based on our realtionship with God, not on our service – think of Mary and Martha where Martha served while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus.  He said that Mary had chosen the better part and it would not be taken from her.  Mary chose being rather than doing – she embodied the great first commandment that we shall love the Lord God with all our heart, all our souls and all our minds and strength.

Why should God love us?  But he does and we know this because He gave his only Son to die for us.  We are not called as subjects but as children of God, fellow heirs with Christ Jesus.  This love is a gift and not earned and the faithful in Christ are the permanent recipients of this gift.  The means by which we are sons of God is accomplished.  It is not just a name, it is reality through Christ and is God’s plan from the beginning.