As I consider the reward of future grace,[1] and the inconceivable realities of being glorified in God’s glory forever,[2] I am awestruck with thoughts about being real. None of us know what that will be like to have our WHOLE heart, our WHOLE soul and our WHOLE mind exactly who we are in God.
This verse captured my attention once again: “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”[3]
God’s children all have a “before”, a “now”, and a “then”. Our “before” is what we were once like when we were dead in our trespasses and sins.[4] Our “now” is what we are presently like as the justified, adopted, being-transformed children of God.[5] Our “then” is a perfection of Christlikeness that we cannot fathom because we are presently harassed at every turn by our sarky selves.[6]
At a recent prayer meeting, our home church was talking about how our eternal life is all about knowing God.[7] That is why we aren’t satisfied with externals. We aren’t impressed much with people just doing the right thing. We are always listening for testimonies of our people getting to know God because that is what our lives in Christ are all about.
As we keep considering the motivation of faith that we believe God rewards those who earnestly seek him, our “now” is full of opportunities to get to know God better than we have ever known him before. There is a promise of daily rewards for whoever wants them.
However, even this is motivated all the more with the coming reward of complete realness. Right “now” we are “fully known” but not fully knowing. “Then” we “shall know fully” as well, something that will be the most satisfying, fulfilling, restful experience of genuineness ever.
In response to this, my meditation and source of prayer is this wonder of one day feeling full knowingness with God while knowing I am being fully known at the same time. No being afraid of anyone finding out what I am “really” like (which is never our real selves, by the way), because I will be so perfectly my real self in God’s realness that I will not have one shred of fear or insecurity that someone could find out something about me they don’t like that makes me undeserving of continued relationship.[8]
A quote that has stuck with me for decades is this: “Out of wonder worship is born.”[9] It has encouraged me so much over the years to let my heart have its way with wonder (awe). The mere wondering at the wonderful things God shows us will lead our hearts to feel the worth of God, and when we feel his worth, we will enjoy telling him how we feel about him and what he means to us.[10]
As I was considering how much work God has done in my life to transform me more and more into the realness of being like him,[11] I had a memory of trying to “do” a devotional as a teenager at a youth camp. I recall going through “devotional” books for teens to try finding something I could share.
What stands out is the sense of panic I felt to come up with something. I had no sense of having a personal walk with God that gave me endless stories of God’s work in my life.[12] I did not think of my “testimonies” of coming to know God was watching over me as a child, or receiving Jesus as an adolescent, or confirming my faith as a young teenager, were actually of significance to anyone but me.
I do not know what I came up with for my devotional, but I do remember very well how I felt about sharing it. I was so scared (traumatized), and my talk was so disconnected from my real soul-condition, that my face was literally twitching with fear. I would have loved to know what the adults who were leading the retreat saw or thought, or whether any of them had let themselves wonder what was going on in my life at the time, or how I was doing in my walk with God.
However, when I contrast what it was like back then to squeak out a devotional from a heart that had no personal experience of whatever I was talking about, to what I am like now when I can’t stop sharing what it is like to get to know God better every day than I have ever known him before (along with an insatiable desire to share it with others for their encouragement!), I can tell my real-life stories of how coming to know God better is the best thing we could ever do.
When I think of all the things our heavenly Father wants us to believe about becoming our real selves in Jesus Christ, the question that keeps returning is, “How do we respond to this hope while waiting for its fulfillment?”
The answer comes in what Jesus said is the reality of eternal life: “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”[13]
In our justification, we have been made alive to know God. In our glorification, we will know God fully even as we have been fully known. In our present sanctification, we pursue getting to know the Triune God better than we have ever known them before.
And that, my brothers, is what your eternal
life is all about. If that just happened in the sharing of my story, that is
YOUR story of God helping you to know him. Get into the word of God every day
and make knowing God better your way of life.
© 2020 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8
Email: in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the
English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text
Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.)
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[1] The idea of “reward”
is part of our present journey through Hebrews 11:6 that talks about us
believing that God rewards those who earnestly seek him. “Future Grace” refers
to the continuing grace of God leading us into future things, those undeserved
blessings of the new heavens and the new earth.
[2] Romans 8:17, 30
[3] I Corinthians 13:12
[4] Ephesians 2:1-3
[5] Justified: I Corinthians 6:11; Titus 3:7. Adopted: Romans 8:15, 23; Galatians
4:5; Ephesians 1:5. Transformed: Romans 12:2; II Corinthians 3:18.
[6] Romans 8:28-30; I John
3:1-2
[7] John 17:3
[8] To understand what it
means to be real we need to follow the thread of God-likeness that runs through
Scripture (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 8:29; I Corinthians 13:12; I Corinthians 8:3; Galatians 4:9; John 10:27)
[9] I know it was from G. Campbell Morgan, but not sure which of his books.
[10] This song video
definitely encourages my feelings of wonder that lead to worship: https://youtu.be/zF3zb4Hbmhk
[11] II Corinthians 3:18 shows
that this is our daily growth towards complete maturity in Christ.
[12] When I say “stories”,
I hold to the treasure of multi-generational groups telling their real-life
stories to one another in order to encourage attachment among the generations, and
to encourage the younger generations to listen to those who are still running
the race of faith ahead of them and want to help them along the way. The world’s
idea that “story” means fiction is just one of their fictional stories!
Also, the world’s idea that we can only choose between “fiction” and “non-fiction”
might be convenient for libraries but leaves out the most wonderful contrast
between the world’s “fiction” and the Christian’s attachment to “truth”!
Jesus is not “non-fiction”! He is TRUTH!
[13] John 17:3
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