Passage
Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God: and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be. We know that when he shall appear we shall be like to him: because we shall see him as he is.
1 John 3:2 (DRB)
Nearby Context
1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called and should be the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth not us, because it knew not him.
1 John 3:2 Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God: and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be. We know that when he shall appear we shall be like to him: because we shall see him as he is.
1 John 3:3 And every one that hath this hope in him sanctifieth himself, as he also is holy.
1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin committeth also iniquity. And sin is iniquity.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "dearly", "beloved", "sons", "hath", "appeared", and "shall". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "dearly" and "beloved", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Behold what manner of charity the Father..." into verse 3's "And every one that hath this hope...", so "dearly" and "beloved" belong inside that flow. In 1 John context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "dearly" and "beloved" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.