“See what love the Father has given 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. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3)  We are continuing our focus on the first epistle of John.  This week we have before us the first ten verses of chapter three.  I want to focus on verses 1-3.  One of the crucial themes of the New Testament is the “already, but not yet” nature of God’s Kingdom.  Jesus comes preaching the Kingdom and it is made manifest in him and his message.  And yet, we wait for its culmination at the close of the age.  That, I have come to realize, is primarily an act of mercy.  The reason for that is because none of us are ready to receive the Kingdom in fullness.  And so, he takes his time with us.  Our God is patient.  Well, that is just fine on the macro level.  We can see hints of God’s reign even in the midst of ongoing war, poverty, racism and so forth.  It is quite a different matter, however, at the micro level, isn’t it?  Why do we who believe in Jesus, still manifest the old ways?  Why do we who are God’s children still act as if we do not belong to him?  Old Father John helps us here.  We do belong to God, we have been adopted into the family, and yet we still do not fully understand our place in the family.  Paraphrasing theologian, Ron Cole-Turner: our passport may tell us where we’re from, but only our baptismal certificate can tell us who we really are.  Do you know who you really are?  Do you know that you have been “bought with a price?” (I Corinthians 6:20)  Do you realize that in the end, the only thing that matters is nor our work but Jesus’?  Let that glorious thought wash over you.  You are not God’s child because of the good things you have done or the bad things that you did not do.  Simultaneously, you will not cease to be God’s child because of what you do or fail to do.  Instead, you and I belong to the family (we know who we really are) because of the eternal mercies of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And when we see him on that “Great Getting’ Up Morning,” we will know in fullness to whom we belong and why we belong because we will see the family resemblance.  Do you know anyone who needs to hear that good news?  Why not share it with them?  Have a great week!