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Christ's Glory - Faith and Sight

(Quotes in italics by John Owen from The Glory of Christ)

Who can think of the glory of Christ but not think that he who was humbled has been glorified above all things (Phil. 2:8-10) with a heavenly glory that we cannot yet see. Of course, we cannot fully understand the true nature of the glorification of the humanity of Christ. But then, it does not yet appear what we shall be. Much less is it clear to us what he shall be like. We see through a mirror dimly as we behold Christ, through the sight that comes with faith, in his Word. In another way, the looking glass of scripture is also like a telescope. Without it we could never know anything of Christ at all. But in using it we are still far from beholding the true dimensions of his glory.

Who can conceive what it will be like to behold Christ in physical form with our physical eyes? We can’t. This I do know: in the actual sight of Christ, we shall see a glory in this union of his two natures a thousand times more wonderful than we can conceive. In heaven we will have a sight of Christ unhindered and undistorted by sin. In heaven the mind will have a clear, unclouded understanding and sight of the glory of Christ.

For now, we have the scriptures by which we are reminded, through glimpses, that Christ is glorious and one day we also will be glorified. It makes us groan (or it should!) that we are not there yet (Rom. 8:22-23). Men may hold a right doctrine of Christ; but beholding the glory of Christ does not lie in remembering doctrine. Beholding the glory of Christ is the spiritual sight of his supreme worth and weightiness. It is in beholding Christ’s glory that we are transformed (1 John 3:2).

Do you love Christ or do you only love doctrine? Do you long to see Christ or desire merely to know more about him? As we continue to run this race (Heb. 12:1), we could focus on our breathing, our pace, our stride, but we will tire quickly. We need to keep our eyes on the prize who is Christ. In beholding his glory, we find the strength to keep running. Not only that, the longer we behold Christ as being a glorious reward, the better we run. How are you doing in the race?