1 John 3:2

Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is.

It is not yet made manifest what we shall be ... Sinclair thought that John made this statement in response to questions which Christians had raised regarding their future state; and it may well be true. People have always been curious regarding such things; "But we cannot say. It is not good for us to know."[9] We shall be like Christ, and that must be enough for us.

If we shall be manifested ... "Grammatically, him should mean the Father; but it is impossible to think this is not a reference to Christ."[10] "What John is clearly saying is that our likeness to the Godhead will be realized in the coming of Christ."[11]

We shall be like him ... for we shall see him ... "This does not mean that seeing God (Christ) is a proof of our being like him, but the cause of our being so."[12] Furthermore, "The Apostle is speaking of an abiding sight of Christ, because a transient view of him would not be a reason for our being like him."[13] All people shall see him in the final judgment, but the view of the wicked shall be transient.

[9] W. N. Sinclair, Ellicott's Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 482.

[10] Leon Morris, New Bible Commentary, Revised (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970), p. 1264.

[11] J. W. Roberts, op. cit., p. 78.

[12] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22,1John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 71.

[13] James Macknight, Macknight on the Epistles, 1John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, reprint, 1969), p. 66.