Saturday 19 November 2011

Dr John "Rabbi" Duncan writes:

It is a great thing to be the sons of God now; “but we know that when He shall appear we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” Faith's view of Christ is transforming, it is glorifying. But it is not so transforming, not so glorifying, as the vision of immediate presence. “Hence,” says the apostle, “we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened; knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord; for we walk by faith, not by sight –” Faith is an imperfect medium of communion with Christ.

It is a true medium, the only medium we have here on earth. O! What a glorious medium of communion with Christ faith is! And yet it is an imperfect medium. “Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory” – in the same place, and eye to eye, not by report. It is on report that faith goes – we have nothing for it but report.

It is faith – and “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It is a solid and substantial report, it is true, it is the testimony of God who cannot lie; but, it is report, it is testimony. But He shall be seen. “Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty;” thou shalt behold Him, not with faith's dim vision. I say faith's dim vision, taking faith at its brightest. But faith at its brightest is dim compared to sight – “We walk by faith, not by sight.” What we have heard, we shall see; what we have heard and believed, we shall yet see. “Said I not unto thee, that if thou shouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” – “if thou wilt believe, thou shalt see.” “Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory.”

“It doth not yet appear what we shall be.” Ah! Can we form little conception of sinlessness “There is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not.” Oh! Surely if the saints could quarrel with the way of salvation – if they could quarrel, it would be about this – that there is no sinlessness in the present life. But it is God's plan. But oh! To be out of the inbeing of sin! To be out of the effects of sin! To be out of this mortal body, and mortality swallowed up of life! Being where Christ is, and beholding His glory! Oh! Is it miserably little that I know of Jesus Christ – miserably little; but with this, I sum up all the brightness of the beatific glory – the being with Christ where He is, and beholding His glory. Ah yes!

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