Sermon XXVII - Wherein the sight of God appears to be such a happy thing - Matthew 5:8
into the same image from glory to glory." Beholding the glory of the Lord transforms the soul into His likeness, to the extent possible.
What enables the saints in heaven to be so similar to God? It is their sight of Him. As the Holy Spirit proclaims, "We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." Thus, the sight of God in heaven, as He truly is, transforms the souls of the saints, making them like God.
They perfectly bear the image of God, seeing Him perfectly. The more a soul sees God in this world, the more it is transformed into His image. Oh, blessed are those who see God, for by seeing Him, they are transformed into His likeness. Is it not a blessed thing for a creature to be elevated to such excellence, to become like God
Himself? This transformation comes through the knowledge of God.
If only people would fall in love with the sight of God, they would discover a superior excellence for mankind beyond indulging in carnal desires. Alas, poor creature! While you satisfy your flesh, what do you truly see? You see your money, your possessions, and lavish feasts. But what is this sight compared to the sight of God? You possess an impure and unclean heart, and therefore, you believe there is nothing better than beholding these things. But blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
SERMON XXVII
Or Wherein the sight of God appear to be such a happy thing
Blessed are those with pure hearts, for they will have the privilege of seeing God. 0 Matthew 5:8
Seeing God is a truly blessed experience. It awakens and activates the virtues within the saints. When God is presented before the soul, it draws out and stimulates every grace they possess. This happens because God is a suitable object for the soul. Just as an impure heart is inclined towards unclean things, the sight of God before a pure soul ignites holiness, glory, and excellence. It has an infinite power to animate and invigorate all the virtues of the saints, making them vibrant and alive.
Furthermore, seeing God enables the soul to worship Him as the true God. Those who are ignorant of God worship what they do not know.
However, when the soul beholds God, even in this world, the name of God is sanctified within the soul, and true worship is rendered in a holy manner.
The sight of God diminishes the glory of worldly pleasures and diverts the heart from seeking comfort in earthly things. Once the soul sees the comfort of God, the allure of worldly pleasures that were once admired fades into insignificance. One glimpse of God's glory has the power to overshadow the entire world, just as the light of a candle diminishes when the sun rises. When God revealed His glory to Abraham, it led him to leave behind his country, his kindred, and all worldly possessions. The appearance of the God of Glory redirected Abraham's heart. Similarly, if God were to shine even a single beam of His glory upon someone, it would redirect their heart away from any strong lust or attachment. Only God Himself would be sanctified in their sight. How blessed are those who have seen
God!
Moreover, seeing God strengthens the soul to endure all hardships and triumph over every difficulty. You may complain about the hardships of suffering and the troubles encountered in the ways of God. However, if God were to appear to your soul, it would immediately fortify you against all difficulties. The sufferings endured for His sake would seem insignificant. Consider the example of Moses in Hebrews 11:27. By faith, he left Egypt without fearing the wrath of the king. How did he endure? By seeing the Invisible One.
Moses saw the God of Glory, and that vision propelled him to leave behind all the glory and privileges of Egypt. Despite the numerous challenges he faced, including leading thousands of people through the Red Sea, Moses remained undeterred by fear. He never regretted his decision, for he saw the Invisible God. Therefore, those easily discouraged in the ways of God have never truly seen God. The sight of God empowers the soul to overcome all difficulties. To see God is to encounter the One with whom you have to deal. It is a sight that humbles Saul and stops him on his path of opposition. Likewise, it emboldens and encourages the heart of a saint on their journey when they realize they are dealing with the Lord Himself. Oh, how blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!
Indeed, seeing God minimizes the significance of all afflictions and enables the soul to navigate any obstacles with ease. You may perceive suffering as challenging, and troubles may obstruct your path in God's ways. However, the appearance of God to your soul would instantly strengthen you, making those difficulties insignificant in your eyes. In the Book of Matthew 18:10, it is written,
"Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones: for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my
Father which is in heaven." The repetition of the word "heaven" emphasizes that it is the place where God's face is seen. In comparison, what we have now is merely a glimpse of God's back.
Heaven is the throne of God, and there the saints will behold God upon His glorious throne. The sight of God in heaven surpasses any sight we have of Him in this world. We currently walk by faith and not by sight, and our sight of God is through His works, His Word, and His Son. While we behold the glory of God through His wisdom, power, and goodness reflected in His creation, it is still an indirect sight. In heaven, we will see Him face to face. Just as you eagerly desire to see the face of a skilled craftsman whose work you admire,
God has fashioned this world, the work of His hands. Yet, in heaven, you will not see God through His works but will have an immediate vision of Him. Here, we come to know what God is not rather than what He is. We describe Him by negations, such as infinite, incomprehensible, eternal, and immutable. But in heaven, we shall see Him as He is, not only what He is not but what He truly is.
This promise speaks of the future sight of God. It refers to the sight of God in heaven. We sometimes believe that God has revealed much of Himself through His great works, His Word, and His Son.
However, there is still much more to know about God than we currently comprehend. No one can see God and live; there is a sight of God that cannot coexist with this earthly life. In heaven, we will see God. There, God will manifest Himself with even greater beauty and glory than we have experienced thus far. The promise in Psalm
102:16 states, "When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory." God will reveal Himself in His magnificent splendor, adorned in His glorious robes. Just as noble men and princes wear their finest attire on their wedding day, God will display His glory when He builds up Zion, the delight of His soul. Blessed are those who will see God in all His heavenly beauty and glory. However, the sight of God here in this world is by that sight that we commune with Him. We cannot have true communion with God without seeing
Him. Many saints can testify from their own experience that they
would not trade a single sight they have had of God in their interactions with Him for the world. They know it is blessed, blessed here, but even more blessed in the hereafter. They shall see God.
This promise primarily pertains to the future sight of God. We often think that God has revealed much of Himself through His great works, His Word, and His Son. However, there is still much more to know about God than we currently comprehend. No one can see God and live; there is a sight of God that cannot coexist with this earthly life. They shall see God in heaven. There, God will manifest Himself with even greater beauty and glory than we have experienced thus far. The promise in Psalm 102:16 states, "When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory." God will reveal Himself in His magnificent splendor, adorned in His glorious robes. Just as noble men and princes wear their finest attire on their wedding day, God will display His glory when He builds up Zion, the delight of His soul.
Blessed are those who will see God in all His heavenly beauty and glory. However, the sight of God here in this world is by that sight that we commune with Him. We cannot have true communion with God without seeing Him. Many saints can testify from their own experience that they would not trade a single sight they have had of God in their interactions with Him for the world. They know it is blessed, blessed here, but even more blessed in the hereafter. They shall see God.
The sight of God in heaven will be more immediate than it is now. It will not be a sight mediated through various means and reflections, as it is currently. Instead, it will be an immediate union with the very essence and being of God, allowing for a direct vision of His essence.
This is evident from various Scriptures, such as 1 Corinthians 13, where it is mentioned that we currently see God as through a glass dimly, but then we shall see Him face to face and know Him fully.
Our current sight of God is mediated through something else, but in heaven, we will see Him directly, without any intervening medium.
We will see His essence. It may seem impossible for a finite creature to comprehend the knowledge of the infinite God, but Scripture reveals that even a finite creature like Jesus Christ, who is both God and man, can possess knowledge of God's very being. This suggests that the nature of humanity is capable of a mode of revelation and union with God that surpasses what reason alone can comprehend.
In heaven, the saints will be filled with God's presence and behold Him within themselves. Just as the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily in Christ, so spiritually, the saints will experience the fullness of the Godhead. This is described in Colossians 2:9. The fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily in Christ, and spiritually, it will be present in the saints. Certainly, Christ sees God, perceiving His very being and essence, as the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Him.
Similarly, the saints who have the fullness of the Godhead dwelling spiritually in them will see God. They will behold Him immediately, not as one sees a color but as one sees light. Light is first present in our eyes, and from that, we perceive colors. Similarly, God's very being will be the primary focus of the soul's vision. Currently, we see
God through His effects, perceiving His glory through His wisdom, power, and goodness manifested in creation. But in heaven, we will see Him directly, as a workman is seen in person rather than through their works. We shall not see God through His effects but will have an immediate vision of Him. In this world, we know more about what God is not than what He is. Our descriptions of Him often consist of negations. However, in heaven, we shall see Him as He truly is.
And we will also see God in the unity of His nature. Here, we perceive God in various aspects, but we cannot fully comprehend that God's excellence is singular. When we seek to know and see God
here, we do so through the different manifestations of His attributes:
His power, wisdom, holiness, goodness, faithfulness, eternity, simplicity, and infiniteness. These attributes are distinct, but they are all part of the one infinite excellence of God. They are diverse ways in which God's singular excellence is revealed. It is like looking at the sun through different colored glasses. The same sunlight passing through a blue glass appears blue, through a green glass it appears green, and through a red glass it appears red. However, the sun itself remains unchanged. Similarly, the excellency of God works in various ways, appearing diverse to us, yet He is one great excellency composed of many excellencies. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God in the unity of His being.
We will also come to understand the great mystery of the Trinity. We will comprehend how there are three Persons but one God. We currently perceive these things through faith, but then we will perceive them through sight.
We will see God in His eminence, infinitely above all creatures. In heaven, we will see Him as He truly is. We will witness everything He does and continues to do for all eternity. The saints will see God, not only His existence but also His ongoing work. Consider that in less than six thousand years, the Lord has displayed His glory in His works. Wouldn't it be a blessed thing for anyone to have been with God and witnessed everything He has done from the beginning of the world until today? But surely, even after this world comes to an end,
God will remain everlasting, and the saints will remain with Him forever. They will be there to see what God will do for all eternity because God will continue working forever. After these six thousand years, God will still be working, and it is likely that He has only just begun. He will continue to work on greater and more glorious things throughout eternity. Imagine a creature being granted the
opportunity to live with God, not only to see who God is but also to witness His heart, counsels, will, and ways, and to see what God will be doing for all eternity. This must surely be a blessed sight.
This sight of God will not require any kind of discourse or effort, as it does now. We will see everything at once, without any fatigue or difficulty. Currently, we often need to exert ourselves to move from one thing to another. But then, it will be intuitive, just as the eye takes in an object in an instant. We will effortlessly take in the object of God's presence. We will see Him fully, as our understanding will be elevated to look upon the face of God without any weariness. Just as our eyes cannot look directly at the sun without damaging our sight, our current ability to behold the face of God is limited.
However, in heaven, our souls will be raised to such strength that we will be able to gaze upon the face of God forever, without growing weary. In this world, we often catch glimpses of God, fleeting moments of His glory. How sweet it would be if those glimpses were not so brief. But in heaven, we will have the constant shining of God's glory upon us. Oh, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see
God. Some say that Christ connects the sight of God with purity of heart because Scripture tells us that the heart is purified by faith.
When the soul believes and is purified by faith, it willingly surrenders its reason and allows faith to transcend reason. As faith believes what the soul cannot see, it will be rewarded by God, who will grant the sight of all that faith has believed. Now, you have the glorious revelation of God and the mysteries of salvation, which are beyond your reason's understanding. Yet, by faith, you believe them even though you cannot fully comprehend them. In the future, God will enable you to see fully what you now believe. You will have complete insight into the reasons behind the mysteries of the Gospel and the things of God that you currently perceive through faith. Oh, it is good for us to be willing now to let our reason be swallowed up
by faith, for God will reveal all things to us in the future through sight, in ways that a rational soul can comprehend. We shall see God.
One further circumstance will enhance the blessedness of seeing God. We will see Him when He fully reveals Himself to us, making
Him an even more delightful and satisfying object. It will be like seeing a creature with inherent beauty, such as a tulip, but with the added fragrance of a violet, possessing the sweetness of all the world's aromas combined. Similarly, the saints will see God, and it will be a wondrous delight because, along with the glorious excellence they will witness, there will be a divine fragrance emanating from God, as He pours Himself out to their souls. Many things could be said about this matter, and there are elaborate notions written about it, but it may not be fitting or beneficial to delve further into explaining or acquainting you with such notions. I will instead make some application of this excellent point.
"Blessed are those with pure hearts, for they will see God.
Firstly, if seeing God is such a blessedness and it is promised to those with pure hearts, then consider, those of you living in impurity and filthiness, think about what you are losing because of your sin and what you are likely to lose. This promise is for the pure in heart. But don't your consciences trouble you and tell you that there is woeful impurity in your hearts, vile uncleanness, which reflects in your lives and actions? So, what do you lose because of this? You lose the glorious sight of God. You live in this world without seeing God, and as a result, you will never behold His face for your good. Certainly, your lusts will cost you dearly. If a person is so attached to their lusts that they must give up their sight in order to keep them, it is like the story Ambrose tells of Philotimus, who suffered from a disease due to drinking and impurity. Physicians warned him that if he did not
change his ways, he would lose his eyesight. Upon hearing this, his heart was so fixated on his lusts that he said, "Farewell, sight." It was as if he were saying, "I would rather lose my sight than give up my lusts." Oh Lord, how many such desperate individuals are among us today? If any such person exists, may the Lord of Heaven rebuke them and speak to their hearts. This is your condition; you are fixated on your lusts. So, what do you think about this glimpse of heavenly excellence, the sight of God? Will you part with your lusts or lose your sight? What will your answer be before God today when you hear that the sight of God is linked to purity of heart? And as the Apostle says in the well-known passage in Hebrews, "Without holiness, no one will see God." So, if you continue in any known sinful way, if your heart is still set on any beloved lust, and if you cannot be swayed from it, then your resolution is desperate.
Farewell, pleasant sight! Farewell, the sight of God Himself! I would rather please my eyes and the desires of my heart than partake in the blessed and glorious sight of God. Oh, your lusts will cost you dearly.
Therefore, consider how people live in this world without God. They have no sight of God. You may speak about God, but there is undoubtedly a sight of God that cannot coexist with the love of any sin. Though we cannot precisely express the difference between the sight of God one person has in this life compared to another,
Scripture is clear that whoever continues in the path of sin does not truly know God (1 John 2:4). When someone claims to know God but does not keep His commandments, they are a liar, and the truth is not in them. It is as if the Holy Spirit is saying, 'The sight of God contains so much that it is impossible for it to coexist with a life of sin.'
Secondly, if seeing God is such a blessedness, how wretched are those who take no delight in seeing Him and would rather not see
Him than see Him? This is the cursed disposition of many hearts,
and indeed, it is the disposition of all who have guilty consciences. I mean all men and women with guilty consciences are led to this state through the guilt they bear. They would rather not see God than see
Him. Oh, what a terrible state you find yourself in! Miserable creature, what is there in your lusts that can outweigh the loss of seeing God and bring you to a point where you desire never to behold
His face? You do not consider it a misery to not see God, but rather a happiness. It is truly a cursed disposition. You would consider a child desperately wicked if they were to say to their father or mother, 'I wish I would never see your face.' Yet, every ungodly person says this. 'Oh, that I might never see Your face.' You might argue that nobody would say such a thing, but indeed, it is the language of your actions. We read in Job 21:14 about the description of the wicked,
'Therefore they say to God, "Depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways." ' Although we may not hear people utter these words, I do not think Job actually heard people say this. It was the language of their actions. They said to God, 'Depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.' The sight of God, in fact, engages the soul in duty. The truth is, for a person to have a sight of God and still resolve to continue in their sin, these two things are incompatible with each other. Therefore, wicked individuals would rather abandon holiness than see God.
Thirdly, how miserable are those who will consider the sight of God as their greatest misery, a curse, and something dreadful? Certainly, their sin has brought them to a wretched state. Yet, this is the state of impure hearts and guilty consciences. Among all the sights in the world, the sight of God will trouble them the most and be the most dreadful. They will see God, but they will see Him as a terror to their souls. Their sight of God will become their curse and misery. They will see God as an enemy, beholding His infinite holy face and, through it, realizing how much God detests them. When you come to
see how holy God is, you will also see how infinitely He hates you.
You will perceive what an enemy He is and will be to you for all eternity. We read in Revelation 6:16-17 about the kings and mighty men of the earth crying out to the mountains and rocks, asking them to fall upon them and hide them from the sight of the Lamb.
Similarly, on the day of judgment, when God appears in His glory, they will see the infinite God they have dealt with and the infinite power that will be exerted to their misery. They will witness His infinite justice upon them, and the strokes of it will be upon them forever. This will be so dreadful that they would rather have hills and mountains fall upon them than behold the sight of God. Oh, you poor creatures, what misery have you brought upon yourselves! On that day, when the saints look upon the face of God and rejoice in the revelation of His glory, going to meet this God who appears in His glory, you will be standing there trembling and shaking before the great God. You will realize that He is the infinite God you have sinned against and rebelled against, the infinite God who comes in all His glory to avenge Himself upon you for all eternity. This will be your condition if you have an impure heart. It is the pure in heart who will see God with comfort. If I were to mention only one thing to reveal the evil of an impure heart and to cause you to be restless until you have your hearts cleansed in the blood of Christ and purified by His Spirit, I would say this: your impurity will make God's presence dreadful to you. Currently, you defile yourselves with impure thoughts, covetous thoughts. Secretly, you defile your hearts with injustice and ill-gotten gain, thinking you can obtain for yourselves in that way. Thus, your souls become defiled. No wonder worldlings and impure individuals have such poor and low thoughts of God.
They defile their souls to the extent that they cannot see God. Strive to keep yourselves clean.
And you who, through God's mercy, have had your consciences and souls purified, keep your souls pure and continue to strive for more and more purity. Do it for this reason: the more pure you become, the more you will see God. Isn't it comforting to see the face of God?
Light is comforting (Ecclesiastes 11:7), so how much more comforting is it to see God? Therefore, cleanse your souls more and more. Also, make use of this privilege of your eyesight; use it. Jesus
Christ promises that you will see God, and if this is the blessing promised to you, then make use of it, set your eyes upon God while you live in this world, and make it your work to contemplate on God.
Many, even Christians, live as if there were no blessing in seeing God. But if there is such a blessing, then why aren't your thoughts more focused on God? Every time you see God in His creation, you should gaze upon the glory of God and say, 'This is my God.' When you look into His Word, participate in His ordinances, and worship
Him, why don't you fix your heart and eyes upon Him? A Christian who fixes their eyes upon God becomes a truly glorious Christian. If we would converse with God and fix our eyes upon Him, we would experience tremendous growth in holiness. Just as purity of heart makes us fit to see God, the sight of God will make us more and more pure in heart every day. So, before you close your eyes at night, you may have a sight of God, and when you open your eyes in the morning, you may have a sight of God that fills your heart with joy.
Thus, you can live comfortably regardless of the state of the world. If you keep yourself in the sight of God, live above the world. God sets you before His eyes; you should set God before yours. By doing so, you shall also die comfortably. While we live in the flesh, we cannot have the full sight of God, but a Christian can die comfortably. Think this way when you are about to die: 'I am going to the place where I will come to know, just as I am known. I will know God perfectly and understand all the mysteries of the Gospel perfectly.' This will make death comfortable for the saints as they depart from this world.