3:1 sons of God. We can be called “sons of God” because we have been “created in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:10), and are thus “new creatures” in Him (II Corinthians 5:17). Only those specially created by God (e.g., Adam and the angels—Luke 3:38; Job 38:7) can properly be called “sons of God.” In the last three chapters of this epistle, those who have been thus uniquely “born of God” are said to “not commit sin” (I John 3:9), “love one another” (I John 4:7), “believeth that Jesus is the Christ” (I John 5:1), “overcometh the world” (I John 5:4), and “keepeth himself” (I John 5:18).

3:2 shall be like him. We have been predestined “to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29), because when He comes again, He “shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body” (Philippians 3:21). He will “make all things new” again (Revelation 21:5). Although the Bible does not say specifically, perhaps this means that those who died in old age will be made young again, and those who died in infancy will grow to vigorous maturity, so that all who are Christ’s “shall be like Him.”