Our Beatific Vision

The pagan Emperor Trajan once asked a Christian why his God was invisible and you couldn't see him (it sounded atheistic to him--just worshiping a spirit), and he was informed and given the scoop: "Look at the sun!"  Trajan said he couldn't because it's too bright.  "Then don't you now realize that, if you cannot behold God's creation, how much less the splendor and glory of God?" Jesus said that God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth (cf. John 4:24).

The Greek believers asked the disciples if they could see Jesus.  "We would see Jesus!"  We don't need to see Him in order to know Him, because Jesus said blessed is he who believes and hasn't seen (cf. John 20:29). We can see with the eyes of our hearts which are opened by the Holy Spirit's illuminating ministry. We are seeing the glory of God when our eyes are opened to see how He is manifest in believers, and we see Jesus in them and they see Him in us--this is only a taste of the glory which shall be revealed us.  As Hebrews 2:9 (ESV) says: "But we see him [i.e., Jesus, with our spiritual eyes] ...."

We shall all be satisfied in heaven by beholding the face of God (in Jesus), but only because we will not be in the flesh, but without any sin to corrupt our spiritual bodies and souls. God has revealed Himself throughout the Bible in many theophanies (revelation of God, such as in the burning bush) and Christophanies (revelation of Jesus, such as the Angel of the LORD).   From the burning bush to appearances as the Angel of the LORD, to Gideon and as the Son of Man, to Daniel's friends in the furnace and to Daniel in a vision.  John saw Jesus in His glory at the transfiguration and then finally at Patmos in a vision of heaven.

Jesus is how God manifests Himself as the embodiment, personification, or icon of God. When Philip (cf. John 14:8-9) asked Jesus during the Last Supper in the Upper Room to show them the Father, Christ said, that he who has seen Him has seen the Father--they are one!  All that God wants to reveal of Himself is presented in the Son--all that God has to say to us and all that we can know.  God is Spirit, according to Jesus, and became a man for our sake so we would have something to relate to and what to think of when we meditate on God.  Jesus is analogous to the sun because He gives light to all He shines on, and makes life possible too.

Jesus has the Shekinah (glory of God), not reflected the glory of God, as Moses had after being in His presence.  Jesus does not reflect light--He is light: John 8:12 says, "... I am the light of the world...."  Jesus willingly veiled His glory because they couldn't behold it in full. Jesus has all the glory of the Father, there is no diminishing of it, but He voluntarily laid it aside (known as the kenosis in Philippians 2) while incarnated on earth before His ascension. Actually, Jesus shines brighter than the sun, which is only an analogy or symbol of Him.

In glory, we shall behold Him: "... [B]ut we know that when he appears we shall be like him because we shall see him as he [Jesus]" (1 John 3:2, ESV).  Moses wanted to see God's face but God said that no man shall see His face and live [in the flesh], as Jesus told Moses in Exodus 33:23.  Jesus said in His Beatitudes that the pure in heart are blessed, for they shall see God [in the NT God usually refers to God the Father].

Don't forget the Aaronic benediction in Numbers 6:24-26 as a promise to claim:  "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."  What man has always yearned for is a God they can see; one that has skin on and we can relate to.  Jesus is just that incarnation:  God with skin on! There is a true story of a boy drawing a picture and the teacher asking him what he's drawing.  He replied, "I'm drawing God."  The teacher told him that no one knows what God looks like.  Then the boy answered:  "They will now!"

Jesus said that "God is glorified in Him" (cf. John 10:34) and this is when He is glorified.  At His priestly prayer in John 17 Jesus besought the return of His glory after He had glorified the Father by doing all His will and being obedient in His subordination and humility.  He did it by accomplishing all God's work for Him on earth that was given Him to do (cf. John 17:4).  By analogy we give up our glory to share His glory and to glorify God:  "The chief end of man is to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever"  (The Westminster Shorter Catechism, ca. 1646).

Everyone will bow to the glory of God, either at Judgment Day, or to become a believer and surrender the control over himself, and even others, to the lordship of Christ.  We must give up the ownership of our lives and realize we owe all to Him because He purchased us at the cross with His blood.  But Jesus wants more than our bodies dedicated to Him as reasonable service (cf. Rom. 12:1), He wants us (to surrender everything we have and are to His lordship)! This entails and involves giving up your personal throne and kingdom and surrender it to God's sovereignty and guidance or plan for your life--we don't ask God to bless our plans, but Him to reveal His plan.

We leave our throne to bow to His and ultimately get a crown to reign with Him, just like Jesus left His throne in Heaven to humble Himself in obedience all the way to the cross.  This surrender and acknowledgment of His lordship is not only done at salvation but renewed daily, as we learn to walk in the Spirit and in fellowship with God and our brethren (cf. 1 John 1:7). We actually have more authority in Christ after surrendering our authority and this is a paradox indeed (i.e., if we are lords, we are to become servants for Christ's sake and humble and meek enough that no service is beneath our dignity).  We have nothing in comparison to lose and everything in eternity to gain, including the right to rule in glory with Christ, as we go from glory to glory to an ultimate glorified state in the New Jerusalem.

He doesn't want sacrifice or offering, or even going through the motions of the rituals of worship--Jesus internalized religion to make it a matter of the heart (He said evil comes out from the heart of man), because the Pharisees had externalized it to outward obedience to the letter of the Law, and neglect of the spirit of the Law.  He wants all there is of us--all of our minds, hearts, souls, spirits, strength, and wills. John was stunned at the sight of the Lord, so just imagine how we would react!

Jesus is the Great Inspector General of the church and we all need to pass muster and be ready for daily inspection of our daily walk--take regular spiritual check-ups so as not to jeopardize your testimony to the world.  Paul said to "test yourselves whether you are in the faith."   We are to examine ourselves (cf. 2 Cor. 13:5)--not others--regularly and especially before the Lord's Supper. We are fruit inspectors--not detectives.  We must examine ourselves first because judgment begins at the house of God, and when we have cast the beam out of our own eye we can help someone else with the speck in theirs.

In other words, don't throw bricks if you live in a glasshouse, because we all have feet of clay or have vulnerabilities not readily apparent--we may see the sins of others as obvious; however, we just sin differently and have no right to look down on our brother or criticize him, and we are all vulnerable to Satan's attack, which Martin Luther called the Anfectung, and we should never succumb to this nor even his accusations.  If we take care of our witness and testimony, God will take care of our reputation and open doors for us--we must just be ready!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Making Plans God's Way

"Then the king ... rejected the advice of the elders'  (2 Chron. 10:13).
"Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap"  (Gal. 6:7).
"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!  For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision"  (Joel 3:14).
"Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?"  (Job 38:2).

Too many Christians erroneously make plans without counsel or wisdom from above.  If we rely only on human wisdom and insight we only get human results.  To achieve the impossible, to move mountains, we need God in the equation!  Equate the God factor--everything else are variables and He's a constant.  It is not an option to forget or ignore God and live as if there is no God; whether we believe there is a God or not, this is called "practical atheism."  There is safety in the multitude of counselors according to Solomon, and without counsel, plans fail.

Today we have everything from clergy, deacons, elders,  life coaches, school counselors, social workers, and mental health professionals to assist us in making wise decisions--we are not exempt from being wise, even as believers. God will reveal His will to us day by day and not necessarily in a rolled out itinerary.  For example, in Proverbs 24:27 it says to first make your career and then build your house.  Map things out before getting married, don't just hope to get it all together afterward (don't wait to get your act together!)--this is God's way!  God's way is to always put Him first (set priorities!) and let Him take care of the details and results.  "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you"  (Matt. 6:33).

Being wise enough to be a success means seeing the Big Picture and not getting too detail-oriented, and thinking small-time. God does have a plan for us and He will get His way regardless of whether we cooperate. In mapping out our life course it is necessary to have "vision," without which we perish according to Proverbs 29:18.  We want God to get all the glory and credit for our success and realize it came from Him and we owe Him and have no place to boast (cf. Deut. 8:17-18) they say, an Englishman is a self-made man who worships his Creator!   Ponder this verse:  "All that we have done [God] has accomplished through us"  (Isaiah 26:12).

God is in control and micromanages our life as well as history itself and no one can say to God: "What hast thou done?"  (cf. Dan. 4:35).  God's will will be done and He has no Plan B case we mess up and ruin our lives; we cannot blame God for our failure because we are still culpable for our errors and sin. "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps" (Prov. 16:9).  And also in the same vein:  "A man's steps are directed by the LORD.  How then can anyone understand his own way?"  (Prov. 20:24). "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails" (Prov. 19:21).

We may be determined, for example, not to ever marry; however, God may have other plans and we might still end up hitched.  "I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD..." (Jeremiah 29:11) implies that as His children He has good intentions toward us and not evil ones to destroy a good thing.  After all He is the Potter and we are the clay (cf. Isaiah 64:8).   All of our life was laid out before we were born according to Psalm 139:16 and this demonstrates His sovereignty--which is not limited by our so-called free will, which means we cannot frustrate God! (cf. Rom. 9:19 quoted:  "...for who can resist His will?"). Therefore, Job 42:2 says:  "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted."

In making plans we must turn over the lordship and ownership of our lives to Christ and surrender to God's will in all matters, holding nothing back--without reservation--this is a lordship issue and all believers struggle here because it's ongoing--Satan never relents.  "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed" (Proverbs 16:3).  God gives us the power to get wealth and to be a success (Mother Teresa said that God calls us to faithfulness and not to success!). Be careful what you plan for because you may get it (this goes also for praying).  In planning it never hurts to think big and to aim high, because then even if you don't reach your ultimate goal you may still be successful in God's eyes.  The revelation of God's plan or will for our life is conditioned upon our piety:  "Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD?  He will instruct him in the way chosen for him"  (Psalm 25:12).

Don't be wise in your own eyes or think you have a monopoly on wisdom--it takes the body of Christ to function and we all have something to contribute.  Finally, success means that whatever God has called us to do we will bear fruit and glorify God, it doesn't mean achieving the "American dream" or making a lot of money, having power or fame.  A word of wisdom from Deuteronomy 32:29 says: "If only they were wise and would understand this and discern what their end will be!"  In summation, the goal is achieving God's will for your life (a life of relinquishment), and walking with the Lord day-by-day, hour-by-hour, moment-by-moment, in faithfulness and leave the results to Him--just trust and obey!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Having No Vision

   "Without a vision, the people perish..."  (cf. Proverbs 29:18).
  "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people..." (cf. Isa. 10:1). 
  "...Men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do..." (cf. 2 Chronicles 12:32).

By vision, I mean the goal or the understanding and interpreting of reality (not political or economic), as in worldview:  the Muslims have hegemony (or domination) as their vision and will not stop until the whole world belongs to Allah--"Tomorrow  belongs to Islam."  Unless Christians have a common, worldview that encompasses believers all over the world, our faith will not stand the trials to be upon the world in the near future.  Islam is soon to replace Christianity as the world's most numerous religion.

What is it that joins us together, that unites us in Christ?  Fellowship is really two fellows in the same ship, they say.   A Christian in Sweden or Russia should have the same worldview or Christian outlook and I am not talking politics. We have no geopolitical concerns in our faith.   Christ's kingdom is not of this world and we are to build His kingdom, not ours.  How is this accomplished?  By the fulfilling of the Great Commission by the church at large.

Never forget that our mission is to fulfill the Great Commission--don't get sidetracked.  Keep the main thing the main thing and don't major in the minors.  Every other goal we have is to be subjective to this one.  The so-called "social gospel" (a misnomer) is not for the church per se individual believers may be led or inspired to do great works in Christ's name (one only looks at William Wilberforce devoting his life to freeing the slaves).  The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern (Prov. 29:7):  'He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well.  Is this not what it means to know Me?' declares the LORD"  (Jer. 22:16).

The government, or the powers that be, are ordained of God, and we are to be obedient unless they directly violate Scripture.   Aurelius Augustine said that "government is not a necessary evil, but necessary because of evil." To be anti-government is to be anti-God just as much as anti-family is. Before you shrug that comment aside and disagree, note that he is considered by many to be the greatest theological thinker of the first millennium.  Martin Luther was an Augustinian monk, by the way.

Our mission on earth is not to make people come over to our way of political interpretation, but to know the Lord.  God's pet peeve or controversy with Israel was this:  "There is no truth, or mercy, or knowledge of God in the land," (Hosea 4:1).  I am not saying it is evil to be a member of a political party, but to associate it with the church or to imply that Christ would join your party is.  This is what has happened in today's evangelical-right movement that tends to have a self-righteous attitude because they desire to judge or condemn others.  They can have their convictions or opinions, but not the right to label them as "Christian."  So many of them are merely geography-related and have prejudices inherent.   Sincere believers in other parts of the nation disagree.

We are to be the salt and light in the world and I mean the world-system or the cosmos ("Virtually every significant social movement in Western civilization--from the abolition of slavery to child labor laws--owes its origin to the influence of Jesus Christ).  We are of the light and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19).  But our light and salt are the Word of God, not some attainment of education, the standard of living, economic system, or political system.  God's people can thrive anywhere and surpasses the world-system that lies in the power of the prince of the power of the air--the prince of this world or Satan.

Are we sowing seeds of truth, not are we affiliates of some party-system?  The problem with too many Christians is that in their misdirected zeal or zeal, which is not according to knowledge, they look at the cosmos and become do-gooders bent on the betterment of society, but losing sight of the Great Commission--turning stones into bread instead of offering a cup of water in the name of the Lord.  Become spiritual leaders and servants, not political activists in league with the world!  In conclusion, let me cite George Bernard Shaw:  "What the world needs is more Christian love."  Soli Deo Gloria!