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Beholding the Glory of God in Christ, Part II by Pastor Charlie Handren

By Anonymous
     Last week, drawing on Ephesians 5:8, 2 Corinthians 3-4, 1 John 3, and the work of John Owen, we saw that the way Christians transform from darkness into light is by beholding the glory of God in the face of Christ, and this occurs as we seek Christ by his Word and prayer.
     This leads to Owen’s second bit of counsel: “Secondly, we need to think much about him if we wish to enjoy him fully (1 Peter 1:8). If we are satisfied with vague ideas about him we shall find no transforming power communicated to us. But when we cling whole-heartedly to him and our minds are filled with thoughts of him and we constantly delight ourselves in him, the spiritual power will flow from him to purify our hearts, increase our holiness, strengthen our graces, and sometimes fill us ‘with joy inexpressible and full of glory’” (The Glory of Christ, 115).
     Here’s one way to summarize what Owen is saying: if you want to behold the glory of Christ, then you must strive to behold the glory of Christ. The sight of Christ does not come by laziness or apathy or the kind of “faith” that sits on a couch and waits for life to happen. It comes as faith seeks sight. It comes as longing strives for fulfillment. It comes as light aggressively seeks to overcome the darkness. It comes as love for Christ overwhelms 1,000 other desires. As Owen writes, “When we fall in love with someone we often think about them. So, when we fall in love with Christ we will be constantly thinking about him” (117).
     Beloved, let us then strive after Christ by the same grace that saved us. Let us behold Christ by striving to behold Christ, dying along the way to 1,000 lesser pleasures. And let us hang on to the promise that sometimes, by the mysterious grace of God, this pursuit of Christ will fill us “with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”
     “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Pet. 1:8-9).

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