I want to stretch your thinking today to believe and receive something perhaps beyond what we see as acceptable

This passage starts normally and we just about take it in. God loves us and as we love God He dwells or lives in us.
Then it says that in this next statement our love is made perfect.

But verse 17 is extraordinary.

As He is- So are we in the world.That is a startling statement

1 As He is

Not as he was. This is not the Jesus we read about in the gospels as he was on earth. Preaching, teaching, healing the sick, casting out devils, raising the dead, dying on the cross for our sins. That is absolutely awesome.
But that is not the Jesus that this is talking about. I told you it would stretch you.

It is not the Jesus that Mary Magdalene recognised at the resurrection or the one who in John 20 walked through the walls to get to the disciples. It is not the Jesus we know who ascended into heaven.

It is not the Jesus we read about in Revelation 1:12-16
There we read what Jesus looked like only a few years after he rose from the dead
He is the king of kings. He is awesome in glory. But that was nearly 2000 years ago.

This passage says as He is. In other words as He is now not as he was even in the awesomeness of the book of Revelation.

He will have changed. Heaven does that to you. The glory does that to you. Holiness and being in the presence of the Father does that to you.

We know He is seated at the right hand of the Father.
We know He has the keys of hell and death
We know He is alive forever more
We know He is living to intercede for us now.

That is Jesus as He is. We can only imagine it.

2 So are we

First look at this little word “As”

It means in this context “in the same degree” or in the same way.
But I like degree because it has the sense of saying exactly the same. Nothing is diminished.

In the same degree that He is so are we.

Step back and take that statement in. Take a deep breath. It is important. You have to receive it in order to begin to act like Him.
Most of us just hope to come somewhere perhaps a little bit like Jesus was when on the earth.
Even then it seems hard to attain to because we are aware of us and the messes we make.
But this verse blows a big hole in that to declare the reality of how it really is for us.
We are as He is. That means we are exactly like Him

3 In this world
Take note. It is not that we are like him once we get to heaven
in the sweet old bye and bye
It is not that we are like him if we have earned His favour.

We are like Him in the world now. In the nitty gritty every day life that we are living with all its ups and downs

The more you take that in the more you will step out and do exploits for Him

That means
As He is strong-so are we
As He is in abundance- so are we
As He is in power- so are we
As He is love-so are we
As He is blessed-so are we
Everything that Jesus is-so are we right now
So if Jesus is able-so are we
If Jesus has conquered the world-so have we
In fact you could add that mantra to anything Jesus is
then put your name on it
That should bring a boldness to your life no matter what you are going through.

That means as the Father sent Jesus He sends you as well. To the same degree. In exactly the same way.
You carry the power of God in you.
It is time to believe it and stand up for the kingdom.

Are you ready to go and do that because I am.