A Little Clarity and Purity

I read a few verses for today and felt a little perplexed.  That is how I have felt through most of my reading in 1 John.  I think John is a bit deep for me, but I know that there is plenty of good stuff I need to figure out.  So, I did what I usually do when I am stumped by what I read and know that there is something I am missing.  I hopped on over to biblegateway.com and read it in a few other, more modern day wording, versions. 

I love how The Message translation put 3:1-3 "What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to.  But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own."

What great points.  Now, yes, it is easy to figure out the children of God part.  That is pretty plain in all of the versions.  But what amazing love that is, that He would adopt us as his own children.  As Jeff and I have been prayerfully considering adoption or different possibilities of being involved with adoption on another level, I have been thinking about how hard adoption really is.  To just bring someone into your family that you don't really know (of course God doesn't identify with this because He knows every hair on our head) has to be very difficult.  The adjustments that have to be made, the behavior and language barriers that exist, the learning curve, figuring out how it all works.  It is hard stuff, but God does it with perfect ease to each and every one of us.  It is amazing. 

The second thought is on how the world doesn't really know or accept us for who we are because they don't know who He is.  They don't understand why we make the decisions we do or live the way He commands us because they don't know those commands or the love that drives us to follow them.  It is a love that cannot be comprehended unless personally experienced. 

And of course the majesty in meeting and fully understanding Christ and then becoming like Him.  I'll just stop there because that speaks for itself.  I mean, seriously, how can you not get goosebumps thinking about how amazing that will be?

And last, "the glistening purity of Jesus' life".  Love this!  What a word picture of perfection!  And what a challenge each and every day to model our lives after His.  That is what He commands us to do.  We are to love like Him.  If you do that and only that, love like him, everything else falls into place.  Selfishness can't take over if you love like Jesus.  Pride can't take over if you love like Jesus.  Sins can't take over if you love like Jesus.

So go, use the glistening purity of Jesus' life and love as a model of your own.