Seeing God

“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” [1]

It is extremely satisfying to see the Lord and find that He has been transforming you into His likeness. To love as He loves! To be at rest in one’s soul as God is at rest! To forgive as He forgives! To know that you will be with Him forever!

The Lord gave to Job a wonderful revelation while he was suffering. Job boldly proclaimed his faith to his three friends. His statement of faith is recorded in the Bible. Many have read it. A hymn has been composed about it. Job spoke confidently, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” [2]

The devil’s goal was to get Job to curse God. He robbed Job of his children, his wealth, and his health. His wife urged him to curse God and die. His three friends believed that he was getting what he deserved. At one point Job, told them, “You are miserable comforters, all of you!” [3]

The Word that God’s Spirit gave Job produced a knowing that God would redeem him and that when he saw God, he would be satisfied. The devil wants to separate us from God. He hurts us and then tries to convince us that God did it. He also tempts us to compromise with sin to create distance between us and God.

“Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that he will not hear.” [4]

Thankfully, God assures us in His Word that His Son Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. He is our Propitiator! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” [5]

Sin grieves the Holy Spirit. “If we confess our sins, He [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” He cleanses us from sin by applying the merits of Christ, our Propitiator, our atoning sacrifice to us. And then, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” [6]

The Lord urges us for our own good, saying, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” [7]

Lust and pride separate us from God. Doing God’s will keeps us close to Him... like Noah building the ark while the all the lost souls around him only served themselves.

“And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” [8]

Ask God for grace to remain faithful to Him.

“Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.” [9]

Know, like Job did, and like the Apostle Paul did, that your Redeemer lives and He will reward you!

“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” [10]

[1] Psalm 17:15
[2] Job 19:25-27
[3] Job 1:6-2:9; Job 16:2
[4] Isaiah 59:2
[5] 1 John 2:1-2
[6] Ephesians 4:30; 1 John 1:9; Romans 8:16
[7] 1 John 2:15-17
[8] 1 John 2:28
[9] Ephesians 6:24
[10] 2 Timothy 4:8