https://odb.org/2025/08/18/god-will-keep-it
1 John 3:1–3 (NIV): See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
The passage above, 1 John 3:1-3, describes three aspects of God’s saving grace: justification, glorification, and sanctification. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, all who receive Him by faith are justified (or made right with God) and become “children of God” (vv. 1-2). God’s children have the hope of being “like him” (v. 2), fully conformed to His likeness. That’s glorification. But in the meantime, “All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure” (v. 3). That’s sanctification.
There is, thus, a sense that in preparing for His second coming, we need to get ready as much as we also need to live in this world. It doesn’t mean that we stop working and just wait for Him to come. Life still goes on. We still need to earn a living to sustain ourselves and our family. It’s just that in the process, we have to be vigilant to sanctify ourselves. We need to purify ourselves and not to intentionally sin or continue to sin. We need to maintain our righteousness before God. It’s part of the transformation of our minds as we do not conform to the pattern of this world. We may not be perfect, but we are moving forward, improving on our adherence to righteousness and holy living, day in and day out, as we become more and more like Christ, in character, actions, and thoughts.
Because of the promise by wealthy donors to fund their college education, children as young as in kindergarten are motivated to do well in their studies in the hope of receiving the promised scholarships. Likewise, we believers should live in holiness and righteousness in anticipation of Christ’s return and the promise of eternal life that His second coming will usher in, the series of events that will occur culminating in the new heaven and the new earth.
Have a good week ahead, everyone! Another week has passed and gone, and a new week arrives as the cycle of life continues. This cycle appears to be constant, and it looks as though life goes on indefinitely, forever and ever. That’s an illusion. The reality is that we might no longer be around tomorrow or that Christ may return! In the meantime, sanctify ourselves to prepare for His coming!
Ronnie's Thoughts 