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Have You Beheld
His Glory? ÒAnd the
Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.Ó (John 1:14) ÒWe beheld.Ó — John does not say, we heard about his glory, or we read about his glory, but
Òwe beheld his glory.Ó What a
privilege that is! This is much
more than a physical, carnal vision of the Lord Jesus. Many saw him with the
eyes of their heads, who never saw him with the eye of faith, who never beheld
his glory. And many today behold him with the eye of carnal reason, who never
behold his glory; because they do not know him and do not behold him by
faith, having him revealed in them by the Spirit of God. When John
says, ÒWe beheld his glory,Ó he is
saying the very same thing Peter said when he wrote, ÒWe have not
followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majestyÓ (2 Peter 1:16). He is talking about that which
he, with Peter and James, beheld on the Mount of Transfiguration. Christ was
transfigured before them. They saw him as he now appears in heaven, glorified
with the glory he had with the Father before the world was. They saw the Lord
Jesus Christ as the sinnerÕs Substitute, who accomplished redemption by his
death upon the cursed tree (Luke 9:28-31). The word ÒdeceaseÓ in Luke 9:31 is literally the word Òexodus.Ó
These disciples beheld his glory upon the mount, the very same glory that is
revealed to us by the saving operations of his Spirit. By the death he
accomplished, our Lord Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets, pleased the
Father (Matthew 17:5), obtained eternal redemption for us (Hebrews 9:12),
earned the right to be Lord as our Mediator and revealed the glory of God as
Òa just God and a SaviorÓ
(Isaiah 45:20-22). — In Christ crucified God sent forth Òhis
mercy and his truthÓ from heaven and
saved us (Psalm 57:3; 85:10; Proverbs 16:6; Micah 7:20). Have you
beheld the glory of Christ by the SpiritÕs gift of faith? If you would behold
his glory, he says, ÒLook unto me!Ó Look and you will see. He does not say ÒWork for me,Ó
but Òlook unto me.Ó
He does not say, ÒFigure me out,Ó but Òlook unto me.Ó
He does not say, ÒServe me,Ó but Òlook
unto me.Ó He does not say, ÒFeel
after me,Ó but Òlook unto me.Ó He does not even say, ÒPray to me,Ó but Òlook unto me.Ó
Look away to Christ and, looking, you will behold his glory. Trusting Christ, we see his glory, just as Isaiah
did, Òthe glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and
truthÓ (Isaiah 6:1-7). It is by faith, only by faith that we behold his glory
(John 11:40). Trusting the Lord Jesus Christ, we behold his glory in
redemption, in the saving operations of his grace and in his blessed
providence! Don Fortner Listen to sermons
at FreeGraceRadio.com |
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