Know the Lord as Perfectly as Possible

       By A. W. Tozer

      There shall be nothing in the city that is evil;
        for the throne of God and of the Lamb will be
        there, and his servants will worship him.
        And they shall see his face; and his name
        shall be written on their foreheads.
        .  .  .  .  Revelation 22: 3, 4
 

             If God is the Supreme Good then our highest
         blessedness on earth must lie in knowing Him as
         perfectly as possible!

             The ultimate end to which redemption leads is the
         immediate sight of the ever-blessed Godhead.  In our
         present state we cannot with our natural eyes look upon
         God, for it is written, "Thou canst not see my face: for
         there shall no man see me, and live"  Exod. 33:20

             When the work of Christ has been completed in His
         people, however, it will be possible, even natural, for
         redeemed men to behold their Redeemer. This is stated
         plainly by the Apostle John: "But we know that, when he
         shall appear, we shall be like him: for we shall see him
         as he is"              -- 1 John 3:2

             This rapturous experience has been called the Beatific
         Vision and will be the culmination of all possible human
         blessedness. It will bring the glorified saint into a state of
         perpetual bliss which to taste for even one moment will
         banish forever from his mind every memory of grief or
         suffering here below.

             I suppose the vast majority of us must wait for the great
         day of the Lord's coming to realize the full wonder of the
         vision of God Most High.  In the meantime, we are, I believe,
         missing a great measure of radiant glory that is ours by
         blood-covenant and available to us in this present world;
        if we would but believe it and press on in the way of holiness.
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         Yours in Christ,

         Paul N. F.