Last week we spoke about controlling what words come out of our lips, and that it is a matter of our sanctification, our purity. (Ja 1:26)
Do you want to see God? I assume so. Even atheists say that they want to see God…if He exists at all, and then they would believe that there is a God. However, the thing is this: if our hearts are not right with God, then seeing Him will only kill us! No flesh can see God in His pure light, in His pure glory, and live.
The Son of God, who is God, came to us as a servant in the likeness of a man. He did not come in His glory, but as a human being. Otherwise we could not look upon Him. When three of Yeshua’s apostles saw Him on the mount of transfiguration, His face shone like the Sun. If we look at the Sun for even a short time, we will go blind. The Apostle John, who writes that Jesus Christ is God, also wrote that no one at any time has seen God. In the Tenach (Old Testament), there were times that people saw YHVH God in the form of an angel; and they were always surprised that they saw God and lived! YHVH must cover His glory when He is in the presence of mortal humans.
Do we have hope that one day we will actually see God, and live in His presence? Meanwhile, we are still here in the world, in this body of flesh and blood. Are we preparing our hearts now, so that we will see Him in that day, at that time? King David was a man after God’s heart, and yet he committed some grievous sins. He grieved over them in his soul, and proving his heart for YHVH his God, he prayed for the Lord to create in him a pure heart and a right spirit. (Ps 51:10)
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Mt 5:8)
Do you want to be happily blessed? We need pure hearts.
Do you see God in the face of Jesus Christ (2Cor. 4:6)? Do you see the Father when you see Jesus? Like Father; like Son. (Jn 14: 7-10) Do you see the face of God in your brother? (Gen 33:10) Does the hope of being holy, of being like the Lord Jesus Christ when we see Him as He is, cause you to purify yourself, just as He is pure? (1Jn 3:2-3) As we mourn for the sin still so evident within ourselves, with the help of the Word of God, and faith in the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus, our hearts are purified to see God. We draw near to Him, rather than hide ourselves from His presence. We see Him as we read the Bible as the Word of God; we see Him through the works of His creation. To the pure all things are pure. (Tit 1:15) Perfect love casts out the fear of judgment, and we long to see our Savior God face to face, and not only by faith in Him whom we have not actually seen. Blessed are the pure in heart, for Jesus promises that they shall see God!
In the Law of Moses, YHVH, God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, tells the children of Israel/the people of Israel, that they are to be holy, because He, their God, is holy. The Apostle Peter, in his first epistle, tells all believers in Jesus the same thing. (Lev 19:2; 20:7-8; 1Pt 1:13-19) This is a commandment for us to obey; and it is also a promise from God that this will become true. We, who want to see Him and live with the Lord forever, will sanctify ourselves; and God promises to sanctify those who belong to Him. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord. (Heb 12:3-15)
YHVH is holy; His Name is holy; His character is holy. He is like no other being; He has chosen us in order that we will be holy – His holy people; His holy family; His holy temple; His holy bride; that we will not remain the way we were before He called us to Himself; that we would not join in with the mind and deeds of those who are not holy, and who have other gods who rule their lives (humbly, though, since we used to be “one of them”); and, that we would not return to our former lives and forsake Him, because He is holy. With these great and precious promises, let us come out “of Babylon”, and cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2Cor 6:14-18; 7:1)
The Lord Yeshua is coming for a pure and holy Bride for Himself. It is the promise of God that those who are His will be conformed to the image of His Son. (Rom 8:28-29) It is a promise for those who love the Lord [and are called according to His purpose], because if we do love Him, we want to be like Him, we want to be with Him, and we will cooperate with the Holy Spirit to accomplish this promise. If we give excuses for our sins, and so justify them, the Word of God says that if we see sin in our heart, and it does not bother us, then God will not hear our prayers! (Ps 66:18) Brothers and sisters, we want, we need to know and believe that our Father in Heaven does listen when we pray to Him. He wants to listen to us. Isn’t it true that we will listen and pay attention to someone more when there is nothing hindering our relationship, when our relationship is healthy? That is because it is true with God, too, who created us in His image. We want to sanctify ourselves so that our conscience is clear with God, and with people.
He who has this hope of seeing and living with God purifies himself/herself, just as He is pure. (1Jn 3:1-6)
This matter is very important in Kehilat Nachalat Yeshua (Yeshua’s Inheritance Cong); it is our vision and mission statement:
Our vision is that as many people as possible under our authority and influence would be ready for and have part in the First Resurrection. (Rev 20:4-6)
Our mission is to be Yeshua’s witnesses to bring more people into His kingdom; we are God’s sons and daughters to grow to full maturity in preparation for our Bridegroom’s return. (Mt 28:18-20)
As the pastor I want as many of us as possible to be ready spiritually to see God’s promise and our hope fulfilled — when Yeshua returns, or if we should die before then. There is no discipleship without sanctification!
As we speak and proclaim the gospel to others, and they should repent and believe it, then they, too, will need to sanctify themselves and be changed more and more into the image of God. We have help: the Holy Spirit who lives within the born-again believer; the Word of God in the whole of the Bible; and the blood of Yeshua that has power to cleanse us from all our sins. We have help, when we thank and love the Lord with all of heart, mind, soul, and strength, and when we love one another as we love ourselves.
When unbelievers (and new believers) see that we believe in and obey God to become transformed into His image, then this will impact our society and city by being a blessing, as a witness and a testimony of living in the truth that Yeshua/Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God – YHVH God in the flesh.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is who He is: the Holy One of Israel.
