The apostle John wrote concerning the Christian's hope of putting on an immortal body: "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" (1 Jn. 3:2).

Why didn't John go ahead and tell us what "we shall be" when we are raised? Why didn't he speculate? Why didn't he tell us what he thought we might be? Why didn't he tell us something which was not revealed, but which doesn't contradict what has been revealed? Why didn't he tell us a widely or long held position? Why didn't he tell us what conclusions scholars have reached? Why didn't he tell us what he felt? Why didn't he confidently affirm what we will be, and challenge someone to show him a verse saying it isn't true, or a "Thou shalt not"? He told us why he didn't do these things: "it has not yet been revealed."

John knew when "it has not yet been revealed," man must not presume to know what is true in that area. Something "has not yet been revealed" because God has been silent. When Scripture is silent, God is silent. When God is silent we cannot say what is true (right) or act with any confidence that we are pleasing Him.

Concerning what we will be at the coming of Jesus Christ we can agree. We can be united in saying we do not know because it has not been revealed. We would reject someone's speculation as to "what we shall be" as "intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind" (Col. 2:18).

Why do we not consistently apply this to things like instrumental music in worship, church supported human institutions, the sponsoring church arrangements, the missionary society, etc.? As with "what we shall be" in the resurrection, we will begin to be united in other areas when we are all willing to stop teaching and acting in areas where it "has not yet been revealed." (Taken from Think Magazine)