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 theunobstructed, glorious, and perfect presence of God with nothing between us and him. We
will literally be face-to-face.
We experience the former now, through a mirror dimly, and will experience the latter in eternity when we are in the
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 fullestglory, 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" withGod - i.e. resting perfectly in 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
Heb 12:2 ..
One day we too will be "²seated" with
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.
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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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
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Grace to you
Jim Deal