“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord [Jesus], are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” ~ 2 Cor. 3:18
We walk by faith but are changed by sight. Over time, we become what we behold. To become like Christ, we must learn to behold His glory. Puritan John Owen understood this truth well. In his book, The Glory of Christ, Owen helps believers “experience the dawnings of eternal glory” by unpacking the manifold glories of Christ as revealed in the Scriptures. Beholding Christ’s beauty, Owen argues, is the great and necessary privilege of the Christian life.
Our Great Privilege
Owen writes: “One of the greatest privileges a believer has, both in this life and for eternity, is to behold the glory of Christ. Only a sight of His glory, and nothing else, will truly satisfy God’s people. Indeed, it is by beholding the glory of Christ that believers are gradually transformed into His image, and then brought into an eternal enjoyment of it, because they shall be ‘forever like him,’ for they ‘shall see Him as He is’ (2 Cor. 3:18; I Jn. 3:1-2). On this depends our present comforts and future blessedness. This is the life and reward of our souls (Jn. 14:9; 2 Cor. 4:6)” (p. 2).
Our Necessary Privilege
“It is by beholding the glory of Christ by faith that we are spiritually edified and built up in this world, for as we behold his glory, the life and power of faith grow stronger and stronger. It is by faith that we grow to love Christ. So if we desire strong faith and powerful love, which give us rest, peace and satisfaction, we must seek them by diligently beholding the glory of Christ by faith. In this duty I desire to live and to die. On Christ’s glory I would fix all my thoughts and desires, and the more I see of the glory of Christ, the more the painted beauties of this world will wither in my eyes and I will be more and more crucified to this world. It will become to me like something dead and putrid, impossible for me to enjoy” (p. 7).
Conclusion
Beholding Christ’s glory is indeed the great and necessary privilege of the Christian life. The “painted beauties” of this world simply cannot compare to the true beauty that is Christ. The more we see Him, the more we become like Him. The more we become like Him, the more rest, satisfaction, and enjoyment we find in Him. May the Lord grant us grace to “experience the dawnings of eternal glory” today as we behold His glory in the Scriptures.
