John writes in 1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” John is saying that though we are now the children of God, there is so much more, for what we shall be has not yet been revealed. The word ‘revealed’ means something which is previously unknown or a secret – to make it known others, something (or someone) which is hidden away, to make it appear so that it is plainly recognised and thoroughly understood. Paul writes “For now we see in a mirror dimly but then face to face, now I know in part, but then I shall fully know, even as I am fully known” I Cor 13:12 Whilst there remains things which we will not know or understand fully until our glorification takes place when Jesus returns, yet it is true now that what no eye has seen or ear heard, what no heart of man has imagined of what God has prepared for those who love Him, those things are able to be revealed by the Spirit which searches even the very depths of God (1Cor 2:9-10) We are able to know now in part of what we shall be then. Indeed it is necessary for us to have this revelation of what we shall be so that we can align ourselves with God’s heart and intentions towards us now, for we must prepare now for what shall be then. Not only the revelation but also the quickening of this transformation process of who we are in Christ is a work of the Spirit of God within the yielded believer. But the role of the Holy Spirit has not ended with either the revelation or the outworking thereof, for the Holy Spirit also testifies with our spirit of this great work He has done in us that we may know in full assurance of who we are, and in knowing that we might appropriate and take possession of our identity in Christ. In Romans 8:16 Paul writes “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”Once the Spirit has brought revelation, transformation and witness of His great work, it activates a cry within us that agrees with the Holy Spirit, for we have received the Spirit of adoption by which we cry “Abba Father!”
All this pertains to our identity as children of God. But it has been revealed by the same Spirit that we are not only children of the Father but we are also the Bride of His Son Jesus. The same Spirit by which we have born again into adoption as sons is the same Spirit by which we have been brought into betrothal as the Bride, and the same Spirit that bears witness that we are the sons of God, also bears witness in our spirit that we are the Bride. Now here is the answer to our question, why should the Bride call come now? Because just as the correct response for us as children of God is to cry “Abba Father”, and this cry activated in us by the Spirit of Adoption, so also the correct response for us as the Bride of Jesus Christ is to cry “Come”, and this cry has been activated within us by the Spirit of Betrothal. This call for the Lord to come, is there in each of us, and is what needs to be released so that we can align ourselves with who we are, and appropriate our Bridal Identity so that we can begin to prepare. Maranatha.
