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The Glory Of Christ

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Though Owen is in no sense an easy read, here is a work with a profundity that makes any amount of struggle well worth the effort. One senses, in the author a deep personal spirituality and an intense devotion to his subject. Though the work is several hundred years old it anticipates much of the modern discussion and no important issue is skirted. Owen provides a deep and finely nuanced treatment of Christ for the advanced reader. The title well captures the content of this book.

John 17:24

"Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

I benefited from this work from the great Puritan writer. Owen's premise is that we don't have to wait until heaven, but we have the privilege of beholding Christ's glory now (pg 16) We walk here by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). Now it is by faith, then it will be by sight. I have chosen to divide it this way:

A. Our Walk by Faith

- We have been born in darkness and, if we have been justified by faith in Christ and His work, we have been translated into light (pg 29) Only by experiencing this glory now [of the gospel], can we have a correct conception of the future glory (pg 19)

- Now it is beginning of glory (Col 1:12) which prepares us for the fullness of glory thereafter (pg20)

- We don't need supposed visions of seeing Christ's glory now, we HAVE THE WORD OF GOD (pg 116)

- The essence of faith is "due ascription of glory to God" (Rom 4:20). We have been given faith to "enable us to behold the glory of God in Christ" (2 Cor 4:3,4)

- "Faith is the light wherein we behold the glory of Christ in this world." (pg 101)

- Sanctification: we must understand that the great "means of sanctification" is beholding the glory Christ (pg 28)

- we are not to simply follow Christ's example...."But no man shall ever be `like unto him' by bare imitation of his actions without that view of intuition of His glory which alone is accompanied with a transforming power to change them into the same image" (pg 29)

- Assurance: "No man can have the least ground of assurance that he has seen Christ and His glory by faith, without some effects of it changing him into His likeness." (pg 119)

- Believers should practice "stirring ourselves with diligence in acting of faith" toward the blessed object of Christ. (pg 30)

-How do we do this? 1. Reckon our minds. "Orient your mind to the most noble thought." (pg 37) 2. Study Bible (pg 38). 3. Be free and mortify earthly affections and sensual inclinations. (pg 40) 4. Quickly turn with speedy address onto Christ (pg 40). 5. Adore Him with all "faculties of the soul." (pg 42)

- Are you spiritually cold? Renew yourself in "obtaining a fresh view of the glory of Christ by faith, and a steady abiding therein. Constant contemplation of Christ and His glory, putting forth its transforming power unto the revival of all grace." (pg 105) [through His word]

- we depend on His continual communication of His glory in His person and office (pg 80-81)

- In faith, we can behold Christ in His glory:

- Consider the glory of Christ: "...what He is, What He was in outward state and condition, what He did and suffered, what He is exalted unto - his love and condescension, his mystical union with the church, and the communication of Himself unto it, with the recapitulation of all things in Him - and the glory of God, even the Father in His wisdom, righteousness, grace, love, goodness, power, shining forth eternally in Him, in what He is, has done and does..." (pg 117)

B. Our Destination by Sight

- the BEAUTIFICAL VISION = the enjoyment of God by sight in His "infinite perfections" (pg 20)

- we shall ever be with the Lord! (1 Thes 4:17, Phil 1:23) We shall behold His glory (John 17:24) and by "seeing Him as He is we shall be made like Him (1 John 3:2). It will be absolutely transforming (pg 117)

- "One pure act of spiritual sight in discerning the glory of Christ - one pure act of love in cleaving unto God - will bring in more blessedness and satisfaction into our minds than in this world we are capable of." (pg 94) It will result in "everlasting refreshment and joy to our souls." (pg 97) "Beholding of Him shall be always satisfying unto us." (pg 113)

- Our enablement to behold Christ with new faculties will be invariable and without interruption in the enjoyment of it (pg 114)

- Beholding the glory of Christ throughout all eternity will NOT be boring:

"The excellencies of infinite wisdom, love and power therein will be continually before us. And all the glories of the person of Christ which we have before weakly and faintly inquired into, will be in our sight forevermore." (pg 93)

[Long but encouraging quote] "And this is the true cause that there neither is nor can be any satiety or weariness in heaven in the eternal contemplation of the same glory. For not only the Object of our sight is absolutely infinite, which can never be searched to the bottom, yea, is perpetually new to a finite understanding; but our subjective blessedness consisting in continual fresh communications from the infinite fullness of the divine nature, received through vision, is always new, and always will be so to eternity. So shall all the saints of God drink of the rivers of pleasure that are at His right hand, be satisfied with His likeness, and refresh themselves in the eternal springs of life, light, and joy forevermore." (p120)

C. Versus the state of unbelievers

- they have no guide or light. They only have their reason and imaginations (Pg 24)

- they drink from the "corrupt fountain of the ignorance of God" (they are culpable for their unbelief) (pg 24-25)

- Illustration: they are link bats and owls who "being not able to bear the light of the sun, retake themselves unto the twilight, to the dawnings of light and darkness." (pg 24)

- "what can they desire more what is farther needful unto the rest and composure of their souls, than at one view to behold God eternally well pleased in the declaration of His righteousness and the exercise of His mercy, in order unto their salvation?" (pg 76)