The Apostle John gives us an extraordinary truth in 1 John 3:2-3
“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.”
What is the key to living like Christ? What does it mean to have him revealed in us? John in this verse highlights an important principle about transformation: to the degree that we see Christ, we are transformed. As, seeing Christ as He is leads to becoming like Him. Let’s break this down and explore its implications for our spiritual journey.
The Revelation of Christ: Past and Ongoing
John says in this verse “when He is revealed, we shall be like Him”. Many interpret this as being fulfilled during the second coming of Christ, and I agree that the fullness of Him being revealed, will be achieved at the second coming of Christ. But there is a slight nuance in the original Greek of this text. It says “if He is revealed”, rather than “when He is revealed”. It talks not just about a point in time in the future, but also about a general principle, and the principle is what we stated before- if He is revealed, we will be like Him, for we see Him as He is.
Has He been Revealed?
Does the scripture say that He Has been revealed? Yes, the Scriptures affirm this in multiple places:
- 1 John 3:5: “He was revealed to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.”
- 1 Peter 1:20: “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”
- 1 Timothy 3:16: “God was manifested in the flesh.”
- 1 John 1:2: “The life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us.”
In fact, after 3 verses John himself says that He was revealed using the same Greek verb. These passages confirm that Christ has already revealed Himself. So that means clearly that Christ is revealed. The fulness of that revelation is when He comes again.
Seeing Him as He Is
Since we saw that the revelation of Christ is done, the part which is our responsibility is to see Him as He is. The transformative power of seeing Christ “just as He is” is not only a future promise but a present reality for believers. Paul elaborates on this in 2 Corinthians 3:18:
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
Here, Paul emphasizes that we all, are beholding as in a mirror the glory of God, and are being transformed into the image from glory to glory. This process of “beholding” leads to ongoing transformation, shaping us into the likeness of Christ. In the spirit, we are perfect, and we are one with Him, and in His likeness, which is why in 1 John 4:17 says as He is so are we in this world. However, this is the outward manifestation of the reality in the spirit. However, we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory in the natural. Rom 8:11 says that if the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the same Spirit will give life to your mortal bodies. Also affirms this in 2 Cor 4:10-11
“Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”
A Principle of Transformation
While Christ’s revealing is complete, our responsibility lies in spiritually seeing Him “as He is.” The phrase in 1 John 3:2—“if He is revealed, we will be like Him”—points to a general principle: the degree to which we see Him as He truly is, we will become like Him. This is Mind Renewal. While the fullness of this transformation will occur when Christ returns, as our minds are renewed, we begin to reflect His image more completely.
What Do We See?
Paul talks about what our spiritual eyes should see in Eph 1:15-21:
Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
The “eyes of the understanding being enlightened” is the spiritual vision and here Paul clearly says what we should see the hope of His calling, riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, exceeding greatness of His power. However, what do we see in Christ- some people think that He is the one who sovereignly plans all destruction, some think that God is the author of your problems. Because seeing Him and what we Have in Him, and us in Him is absolutely critical in our transformation as a believer.
Living as Children of God
As John concludes in 1 John 3:3, “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” This hope is not passive but active. It motivates us to pursue purity, holiness, and a deeper relationship with Christ. Not that we are not holy, but we allow that truth of our holiness within to transform our lives outside. Our identity as children of God comes with the privilege and responsibility of reflecting His glory in the here and now.
Conclusion
We are now children of God, and the fullness of what we could be has not yet been revealed. But we know this: when we truly see Christ as He is—whether in eternity or in our daily spiritual walk—we are transformed into His likeness. The revelation of Christ is complete, and our part is to behold Him and allow His glory to shine through us. As Paul writes in Colossians 3:4, “When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
May we live with unveiled faces, beholding His glory, and being transformed from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord.
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