knowing God...two ways...now and then

There is knowing God 

·        by faith 

       and 

·        by union

Both involve seeing God; one at a distance and one face-to-face.

We experience the former now, through a mirror dimly, and will experience the latter in eternity when we are in the unobstructed, glorious, and perfect presence of God with nothing between us and him. We will literally be face-to-face.

Hope of His presence 

The anticipation of being perfectly united with God and fully in His presence is our hope and a significant part of what drives our pursuit of God (I John 3:2-3). It is the anticipation — ¹sure hope — of the bliss of experiencing Him in all His glory that moves us to faithfulness. This is where we, for the first time, will experience unobstructed and uninterrupted fullness of life in him along with our fullest glory, i.e. our greatest fulfillment-joy-value-purpose and meaning. It is in this anticipated joy our hope is anchored, not unlike the anticipated joy Christ experienced. 

Heb 12:2 ...looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

 One day we too will be "²seated" with God - i.e. resting perfectly in His presence. 

Why is it we will be like him when we see him as he is? (I John 3:2-3) Why will looking into the face of Jesus be so transforming? Because it is in someone's face and especially the eyes we see love expressed most directly, clearly, and personally. Everything we have been told about Christ we will realize perfectly in an instant when we look into His eyes. 

In summary and recap

There is knowledge of God by faith and by union.

We now live for God and see him by faith through a mirror dimly so our view-knowledge of God is incomplete-imperfect. It is "in part" because we could not withstand a full view of Him in our present unglorified state.

In eternity our sight will expand into actual union and firsthand experience, where we will literally and physically be with God in his glorious presence. Our experience of God's presence will be actual and not by faith as it is now.

Love is common in both our present and future state and the means of our transformation. It transforms us now by faith and will transform us in and throughout eternity by direct experience and participation in the complete and immediate presence of the God of nonstop love. What a glorious day that will be!

For more on experiencing our greatest glory, click here. 

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¹It is hope only in the sense that we do not yet possess it. It is sure because God is true.

²Though not at His immediate right hand. That is reserved only for Christ. This is also not saying we will be inactive, i.e. sitting still - but addresses being fully received and acknowledged as being worthy of being in His presence.