What is the purpose of this post?
To know God.
Why undertake this study now? Motivation?
About a year ago I read John Owen’s “The Glory of Christ,” and have been unable to let go of something he wrote.
He quoted 2 Corinthians 3:18 -
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
Then he said,
“As believers, beholding the glory of Christ in the glass of the gospel, we are changed into the same image and likeness by the Spirit of the Lord. So those beholding the beauty of the world and things that are in it through the cursed glass of self-love are in their minds changed into its image. But we have not so learned Christ.”
Since Christians are to be “Christ-like”
Since to become like Christ, bearing His fruit, is what all who believe do “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:11)
Since God demands “Be ye holy, for I am holy” (Peter 1:16)
Since the way to show our love for Him and to truly know Him is being obedient as Jesus was - “ If ye love me, keep my commandments” “ He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” “ Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” (John 14:15,21,23)
Since we, who are called God’s children, “and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. (Romans 9:26); and are new creatures, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthinas 5:17); are to live exactly as the Scriptures tell us, that it is “not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20);
that the world is to see Jesus living through us,
Since Christ gave himself for the Church “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:27);
and since this, as a whole, is not what the world sees;
Since we have in our weakness, apathy and sin-soaked lives betrayed our Savior by representing Him falsely to a fallen world, a world full of people that He came to save “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)
That can only know Him through us being what He has called us to be.
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; an it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16).
Since it is easier to focus on the failings of the “Church”, instead of my own personal betrayal in not living out 1 Thessalonians 2:12
“ That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.”
And since the only answer for all that is “un-Christ-like” in my life is found in 2 Corinthians 3:18,
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
I now find myself asking:
How do we, with open face, behold Christ?
Open face: No longer hiding behind a mask, no more excuses for sin or weakness. Acknowledging ourselves to be, in truth, exactly as our Heavenly Father, who sees all and knows us better that we do ourselves, says we are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” (Revelations 3:17)
To Behold:
To behold means to look, but much more than just to look.
It means to observe carefully, to drink in with our eyes until we perceive the real nature of what we behold.
So, what I must now do, is to first, pray and ask the Holy Spirit - who is the dispenser of all truth - to lead me into this act of “beholding”.
To search the Scriptures to see what God has revealed to us about Himself. To not only study what each verse says to my understanding (mind), but to drink of it until it soaks into my heart (will), thereby changing me to become in this world what His Word says I am in Truth.
“ Herein is our love made perfect, that we have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” (1John 4:17)
