1 John 3:2 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Now are we the sons of God, &c.— In 1 John 3:1 the apostle says, the world knew them not. Here he intimates, that they themselves did not fully comprehend what glory and felicity was implied in their being sons of God, and heirs of his eternal inheritance. It is observable, that these are the words of John; of him who had not only so familiarly conversed with Christ on this sublime and delightful subject, but had seen his transfigurationwhen Moses and Elias appeared in such transfulgent glory. In our present state, we are not capable of forming an adequate idea of our future selves, or of the glorious scenes which will present themselves to the view of the faithful hereafter; but when our Saviour shall be revealed from heaven, arrayed in all his glories, we are assured that our frail bodies shall be transformed into the likeness of his glorious body. Seneca has some sublime passages in his 102nd Epistle, relating to that divine Light which good men shall behold in a future state, "The very thought of which (he says) will prohibit any thing sordid, base, or malevolentfrom settling in the mind that entertains it."