Unlike many human relationships, we do not have to persuade God to love us: He already loves us. We cannot do anything to get into His family: through the grace of Christ we have been made children of God when we repented of our sin and received His love (John 1:12). And yet the fullness of our privileged position is not always apparent to us; nor do we often look like the finished masterpiece in our Father's house.

But the truth is that when we trust in Jesus, we become children of God. That is the start of the transformed life. The conclusion will be seen when Jesus comes again. At that point in time we belong to God as a child born into the family or legally adopted. We become His responsibility and He pledged Himself to make us like Jesus. On the final day when the second coming occurs, the transformation will be complete.

When we see Him we will not want to be anything other than like Him. All the trappings and toys of the world will have no significance. So, between now and then we need to prepare ourselves and practise purity by obeying Him. 1 Corinthians 7:1 says, "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." Every act of obedience puts purity into practice.

Like a loved child who adores father and wants to please him, so the believer starts from the security of being fully accepted in God's family. But that must not give us licence to please ourselves. We are already on track to be like Jesus so we need to get practising. Like a musician who practises intensively for the big performance and the athletes who challenge themselves every day in order to win a prize, so the Christian should be eager to choose to learn to live like Jesus. It is also our primary witness in the workplace and is evidence that a child of God is getting ready for King Jesus.