THE GLORIFIED STATE Devotion 14 of 25 Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall SEE GOD" (Matt 5:8). Even in the spiritually primitive times of the patriarch Job, his faith told him he would someday see the Lord. "And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I SEE GOD: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me" (Job 19:26-27). The Spirit moved Paul to write of time when we will see "FACE TO FACE" (1 Cor 13:12). The Lord also provides a strong incentive for holiness by referring to seeing the Lord. "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall SEE THE LORD" (Hebrews 12:14). – Tomorrow:
The heart that has been touched by the grace of God, and renewed by the Holy Spirit, leaps in anticipation when hearing about seeing the Lord. That is a longing that faith produces, and is the object of the hope that saves (Rom 8:24-25). A salvation that is not consummated by beholding the face of the Lord is no salvation at all. Such a view is a charade, spurious, and is the creation of unlearned mortals. Further, those who teach us that Jesus has already come the second time must explain to us about the matter of "face to face," and why they have not been transformed into His likeness.
Our text is addressing the fulfillment of the glorious promise of seeing God, and beholding Him face to face. It assumes that salvation has created a deep and profound longing to see the Lord "as He is." Such a longing can only be found in "the pure of heart," who refuse to allow the defilements of this world to clutter their perception and affection. They are infinitely more interested in beholding the Lord in all of His fulness, than in merely receiving temporal benefits that must be forfeited when they die.
This promise is also the fulfillment of Hebrews 11:6. " . . . he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Heb 11:6, NKJV). The reward for those seeking "Him" is THE LORD HIMSELF! As the Lord said to our father Abraham, "I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward" (Gen 15:1). David confessed he too had embraced this longing. "O LORD, You are the Portion of my inheritance and my Cup" (Psa 16:5).
Seeing His face equates to seeing Him as He is – in all of His fulness. Thus we are given the promise, "but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). By saying "we know," the Spirit accents that this is more than mere intellectual knowledge. This is heart-knowledge – a knowledge that is integral to our acquaintance with the Lord Jesus by faith. In this world, in our closest moments with Christ, we sense in our spirits that we are only touching the hem of His garment. Yet God has made created us in His Son for a fuller vision, not for mere introductions. The tender heart senses this, acquiesces with it, and longs for the time when it will come to pass.
Seeing His face involves more than simply looking at Him, although that is surely at the heart of the vision. Even in this world, when men go to see celebrities, they do not simply want to look at them. They want to behold what they do – the thing that makes them worldly celebrities. Even so, beholding the face of our Lord involves seeing His works in a clear and uncluttered way. Seeing His face involves discerning His judgments and ways, which are obscured in this world, and "past finding out" (Rom 11:33). But the saints are not content with this circumstance. Their faith has caused their hearts to long for a fuller vision, a more comprehensive look at their marvelous Lord. They want to see Him without a dark glass between them and Him. They want to behold the glory of His countenance without it having to be veiled, lest they be destroyed by His glory. Grace has developed an appetite for glory in them, and that glory is "in the face of Christ Jesus" (2 Cor 4:6).
Indeed, their longing will be satisfied. When they see "His face" it will no more be said, "Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters, And Your footsteps were not known" (Psa 77:19). Everything God does is for a reason. As it is written, "and you shall know that I have done nothing without cause that I have done in it, says the LORD GOD" (Ezek 14:23). Those causes, however, are not apparent to us while we sojourn in this world. But then, when we see "His face," there will be no yoke, no burden, no veiling, and no secrets. We will behold His Person, understand His ways, and comprehend His workings. Glory to God!
In the meantime, while we wait to see His face, let us culture an appetite for the coming vision. In all of its aspects, salvation contributes to the development of such an yearning. Conversely, all Satanic influence seeks to either dull or remove that anticipating longing. Understanding this will deliver us from many religious involvements that are not driven by the Holy Spirit. Any association or teaching that pushes our inheritance from us is most dangerous.
So, when people talk about "pie in the sky by and by," they have only betrayed their abysmal ignorance of the magnificent blessing of seeing our Lord's face. One unhindered and unfettered glimpse of His glory will make everything transitory appear to be but the chaff that it really is.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, help me to so live my life that the longing to see His face will be dominant.