Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)
The Christian faith is all about transformation - in John's imagery moving from darkness to light. When I decided to trust and follow Jesus, I began the slow, steady and sometimes stumbling journey towards becoming more like the one whom I follow - Jesus.
In Jesus' day, the disciples of any reputable Rabbi would follow their teacher wherever he went and mimic any action he modeled. There was a common saying that to do this was to cover yourself in the dust of your Rabbi's feet. In other words, to stay so close to your teacher and Lord that your are forever clearing dirt from your face. Christian faith is right thinking or believing AND right behaviour. Faith and works go hand in hand - they are two sides of the one coin.
John reminds me that this journey of transformation will have an end point. And what a glorious finish line it will be! One day I will be see Jesus in all his glory. One day I will be like him. Wow! In Acts Jesus-followers were called Christians - literally little Christs. They were known for the radical way that, in the Spirit's power, they modeled the life of the One whose name they bore. There is no more honoring title I can hold in this life, or the next.
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