THE glory of the Lord as seen in Moses’ face alarmed the people; they could not bear that glory. But we see it now with “open” unveiled “face” in Christ (2 Cor. 3:1818But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)), and yet are not in the least afraid; we find liberty, comfort, and joy in looking at it; we gaze on it, and instead of fearing, rejoice. How comes this immense difference? It is “the ministration of the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:88How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? (2 Corinthians 3:8)) and “of righteousness” (vs. 9). It is Christ alive in the glory that I see: not Christ down here (sweet as that was), but Christ at the right hand of God. Yet though that glory is in the heavens, I can steadfastly behold it. All that glory (and He is in the midst of the glory and majesty of the throne of God itself) does not affright me, because this wonderful truth comes in, that that glory of God is in the face of a Man who has put away my sins, and who is there in proof of it (Heb. 1:33Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3)). I should have been afraid to hear His voice, and have said with the children of Israel, “Let not God speak with me” (Ex. 20:1919And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. (Exodus 20:19)); or, like Adam with a guilty conscience, have sought to hide myself away (Gen. 3:88And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8)). But I do not say so now. No; let me hear His voice.
I cannot see Christ in glory now without knowing that I am saved. How comes He there? He is a man who has been down here mixing with publicans and sinners — the friend of such, choosing such as His companions; He is a man who has borne my sins in His own body on the tree (I speak the language of faith). He is there as having been down here amidst the circumstances and under the imputation of sin; and yet it is in His face I see the glory of God. I see Him there consequent upon the putting away of my sin; because He has accomplished my redemption. I could not see Christ in the glory if there were one spot of sin not put away. The more I see of the glory, the more I see the perfectness of the work that Christ has wrought, and of the righteousness wherein I am accepted. Every ray of that glory is seen in the face of One who has confessed my sins as His, and died for them on the cross; of One who has glorified God on the earth, and finished the work that the Father had given Him to do. The glory that I see is the glory of redemption. Having glorified God about the sin — “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 7:44For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world. (John 7:4)) — God has glorified Him with Himself there.
When I see Him in that glory, instead of seeing my sins, I see that they are gone. I have seen my sins laid on the Mediator: I have seen my sins confessed on the head of the scapegoat, and they have been borne away (Lev. 16). So much has God been glorified about my sins (that is, in respect of what Christ has done on account of my sins), that this is the title of Christ to be there at the right hand of God. I am not afraid to look at Christ there. Where are my sins now? Where are they to be found, in heaven or on earth? I see Christ in the glory. Once they were found upon the head of that blessed One; but they are gone, never more to be found. Were it a dead Christ, so to speak, that I saw, I might fear that my sins would be found again; but with Christ alive in the glory the search is in vain. He who bore them all has been received up to the throne of God, and no sin can be there. As a practical consequence of this, I am changed into His likeness. “We all, with open face, beholding as in the glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
It is the Holy Ghost taking of the things of Christ, and revealing them to the soul, that is the power of present practical conformity to Christ. I delight in Christ, I feast upon Christ, I love Christ. It is the very model and forming of my soul according to Christ by the Holy Ghost, this His revelation of Christ. I not only get to love the glory, it is Christ Himself that I love; Christ that I admire, Christ that I care for, Christ whose flesh I eat, and whose blood I drink; what wonder if I am like Christ. The Christian thus becomes the epistle of Christ; he speaks for Christ, owns Christ, acts for Christ. He does not want the pleasures of the world, he has pleasure at God’s right hand for evermore.
The soul at perfect liberty with God looks peacefully and happily at the glory of God as seen in the face of Jesus Christ; and because it sees that glory, and knows its expression, it walks before God in holy confidence. Instead of being happy and at liberty with Satan in Satan’s world, the Christian dreads Satan because he knows himself. At ease in the presence of God, he there drinks into the spirit of that which befits the presence of God, and becomes the “epistle of Christ” to the world, showing out to all that he has been there. Well, what a difference. May we more and more make our boast in Him, in whose face all this glory is displayed — the Lamb who has died for us, and cleansed away our sins by His own most precious blood.
J. N. D.