BELOVED

Beloved

1John 3 (NRSV)

¹See 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. ²Beloved, 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. ³And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

This Sunday we are celebrating All Saints Day, which falls on November 1, because the rubric (BCP 15) says it may be observed on the following Sunday. 

“All Saints” includes everyone in the Church, living and dead. We living are called the Church Militant because we are meant to be struggling militantly against all odds toward keeping our Baptismal Covenant; we are the saints and the saints are all around us, easy to behold. 

Called the Church Triumphant, the other side is not easy to behold, indeed is impossible to know for now except by faith and hope. What will it be like? Will it be oblivion, or bliss? What will we be like? Sunday’s promise from 1John3 says we have no idea, it hasn’t been revealed to us. It’s all in God’s hands and we are not meant to know. What we are meant to know is that for now we are children of God (The KJV translates it sons of God, but the NT Greek word is τέκνα, which is children). As children, we are to live in accordance with the Father’s will. And as children, we are beloved.

That’s the assurance: we are beloved. Our hope is that whatever comes next for us, in the Church Triumphant, will be because we are beloved. 

TW+