Tuesday: In the Presence of God
The Bible says that God “dwells in unapproachable light” (1 Timothy 6:16, NRSV), and that “no one has ever seen God” (John 1:18, 1 John 4:12, NRSV). Does it mean that the saints in heaven will never see God the Father? Not at all. It is quite evident that not seeing God refers to the human beings after the Fall, because there are several indications in Scripture that the saints will actually see Him in heaven.
Read Matthew 5:8; 1 John 3:2-3; and Revelation 22:3-4. What do these passages tell us about the supreme privilege of seeing God?
Image © Lars Justinen at Goodsalt.com
The same apostle John who stated that “no one has ever seen God” (John 1:18, 1 John 4:12, NRSV) also declares that “we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2-3, , NKJV) and “see His face” (Revelation 22:3-4, , NKJV). It can be debatable whether these passages refer to God the Father or to Christ. But all doubts are gone in light of Christ’s own statement, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8, NKJV). What a privilege it will be for the redeemed to worship God in His temple! But the supreme privilege of all will be to see His face.
“The people of God are privileged to hold open communion with the Father and the Son. ‘Now we see through a glass, darkly.’ 1 Corinthians 13:12. We behold the image of God reflected, as in a mirror, in the works of nature and in His dealings with men; but then we shall see Him face to face, without a dimming veil between. We shall stand in His presence and behold the glory of His countenance.” — Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, Pages 676, 677.
Notice in some of the verses for today the link between purity and seeing God. The “pure in heart” will see God; he who will see God “purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3, NKJV). What these verses reveal is that God must do a work in us now to help prepare us for heaven.
Though, in the end, our title to heaven has been made certain through the death of Jesus, we will go through a purifying process here and now that will help prepare us for our eternal home. And central to the purification process is obedience to His Word.
| Read 1 Peter 1:22. How does this text reveal to us the link between obedience and purification? What is it about obedience that purifies us? How, specifically, does Peter say our obedience will be made manifest? |
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Those of us who have studied physics are used to working things we cannot see. For example, nobody has seen gravity, or magnetic fields. When we talk about gravity we are really talking about the effects of gravity. We cannot grab a bit of gravity and put it in a box. All we know about gravity has been developed from observing its effects on objects around us. We have lots of equations for describing and predicting those effects and we can use our knowledge to our advantage. To give a rather esoteric example, the position of the James Webb Telescope at the L2 Lagrange Point takes advantage of our understanding of gravity. It is the solution to what is known as the "three body problem". (Calculating the 5 Lagrange points is a bit of good fun for those who need to brush up on their maths and Physics)
Ok enough of the tough science stuff. We are talking about God. The lesson makes the point that we cannot see God. But, like gravity, we can see the effect of God. If God is omnipresent, then we are in the presence of God and should experience the effect of God. There are two consequences of this.
1. God chooses to show his "effect" through those who believe in him. It is called the working of the Holy Spirit. The embodiment of this principle is found in:
2. If we get this right, it will not be a surprise to us when finally the filters are removed and we see God face-to-face.
God is wonderful and marvelous! Considering that relationships are a constant exchange, this also happens when I am the Lord's friend. And how much more I get to intake from it! Because as I get closer and spend time with Him I can gradually feel that my thoughts aren't the same anymore and that something is at change. My wish today is that we can all give Him our "total inside waste" and exchange it for His pardon and peace! Next, we will probably be able to give Him back our best, something which He longs to receive, and it is a recipe for happiness, as a result of this relationship-exchange, a natural and individual obedience to His will.
“In the presence of God” – I cannot really wrap my mind around this, and I think that our heart is better prepared and equipped to imagine and anticipate this new world and its new reality.
Being in Jesus Christ is in essence the same as being in the presence of the Father. We cannot ‘see’ the Father, because He truly "dwells in unapproachable light” – 1 Tim. 6:16. This is why He sent His Son for us to believe His word of truth and life; He could not come Himself to teach us and guide us into His Truth.
Since the Father dwells in unapproachable light, but the Son is available for all to see the Father in Himself, we encounter both in the Spirit, and Jesus Christ in person when we inherit our new form - John 14:9; John 10:30-38.
Seeing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in person is, at this time, all I want to look forward to. ‘God the Father’ and ‘God the Son’ - we might need to sort out which it is that the Scripture refers to – 1 John 3:2-3; Matt.5:8; John 1:18
We already enjoy the privilege of experiencing the presence of the love of the Father through His Son and the caring guidance of the Holy Spirit; all reveal and testify of the Father’s nature. I am satisfied to know the Father in this 'form/way', and it is for me about all I want to consider when anticipating life in the New Jerusalem at this time.
When we say the Father is unapproachable light and so therefore He sends His son and the son is not unapproachable light. I think the Father and the son both are unapproachable light, but that the son chose voluntarily to come to the earth and became a man. Before Jesus came He appeared to Moses and He said to Moses you can't see me and live. You can see me for a moment in the cleft of the rock. He had to vail His glory with humanity.
Yes, John says that "We shall see Him as He is," but that is not until "He Appears in all His Glory." He is also very clear that "It does not yet appear what we shall be." And yes He is also very clear that "We are (now) the sons of God." This is very much Jesus' own words in John 15:3. It is always Jesus Words that makes us clean. And, yes, we need to make efforts to obey them. But in doing this we never quite come out "Smelling like a rose." But even EGW white says that God accepts our efforts to obey even though they "Never Equal the Pattern." And they may not even equal that Pattern even after He gives us "Glorified Bodies," after He comes to take us home with Him. And "To be Like Him" may not necessarily mean that we will be "Equal to Him."
True Pete we will never be God, but I love the promise you share that it does not yet appear what we shall be. Many of us have a limited idea of how much we can grow in love but Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:20 that God can do way more for us than we ask or think. I don't want to put any limits of God's love and the power of grace as I fall in love with Him and let Him take me wherever He wants to take me in my growth and walk with Him.
Yes, William Earnhardt, we will never be God, ever, but and yes God wants us to be "Like Him" and we can only do this with His Holy Spirit's help. But even in being like Him in character we can never "Equal Him" here either. Jesus will always be far, far, in front of me. But as long as I allow Him to be in my life, He will always accept me as being his as His son, now and forever because of His "words" His Promise and Promises.
We are to be like Him, in that we appreciate what He appreciates, we love what He loves, we are interested in things He is interested in. In other words, we are compatible friends who can thoroughly enjoy being together.
We shall NEVER be equal to Him for He is our God, our Creator, our Savior, we owe everything to Him. To Him we give our worship. Yet, we will have minds that can converse and enjoy fellowship and sharing with Him.
Yes, it begins here on earth, and how wonderful and encouraging that is, but it does not compare to being with Him face to face.
God made humanity in His image because He desires our fellowship. Think of Adam there in the garden, with all manner of animals around him. Cats rubbing themselves against him wanting to be petted, dogs gazing up into his eyes begging him to go for a run with them, Yet Adam was lonely! "It's not good that he should be alone". He needed someone who was "like him". So God made him a helpmate who could talk, laugh, love, discover, and work with him, on an intellectual, sharing, caring level.
Well God wants our society too. A face to face, friendship.
Remote, virtual connections serve a purpose, but they are light years short of an "IN person" connection,