Beholding His Glory
We can experience the radiant glory of God in this life by believing, pressing on in holiness, and being ready to receive His presence.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the profound experience of beholding God's glory, suggesting that while some Christians have glimpsed this divine vision in their earthly lives, most must wait for the Lord's return to fully experience it. He acknowledges the validity of those who claim such experiences, noting their sound theology and devoted lives. Tozer encourages believers to pursue a deeper relationship with God, reminding them that God is already inclined to give Himself to those who are ready to receive Him. He asserts that the Holy Spirit fills those who separate themselves from worldly distractions, aligning with God's nature to pour Himself into virtuous souls. Ultimately, Tozer calls for a pressing on in holiness to access the radiant glory available to us through our covenant with God.
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It is true that a select company of Christians through the centuries have testified that they were rapt into a state where for varying lengths of time they were able to experience the Beatific Vision at least to some degree while still here in their natural bodies, seeing the everblessed One not with their physical eyes but with the eye of the Spirit. Being myself extremely cautious and slow to accept the unusual, I have tended to back away from this burning bush; but the holy characters of some of those who made such claims, their salty good sense and their sound basic theology along with their devoted service to mankind, have certainly placed them above the faintest suspicion of being fanatics or impostors.
I for one must accept their testimony as valid. 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. In seeking to know God better we must keep firmly in mind that we need not try to persuade God.
He is already persuaded in our favor, not by our prayers but by the generous goodness of His own heart. "It is God's nature to give Himself to every virtuous soul," says Meister Eckhart. "Know then that God is bound to act, to pour Himself out into thee as soon as ever He shall find thee ready." As nature abhors a vacuum, so the Holy Spirit rushes in to fill the nature that has become empty by separating itself from the world and sin. This is not an unnatural act and need not be an unusual one, for it is in perfect accord with the nature of God. He must act as He does because He is God.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Possibility of the Beatific Vision
- A. Historical accounts of Christians experiencing the vision
- B. The character and testimony of those who claimed to have seen God
- II. The Need for Holiness
- A. The radiant glory available to us in this world
- B. The importance of believing and pressing on in holiness
- III. The Nature of God
- A. God's generosity and willingness to give Himself to virtuous souls
- B. The Holy Spirit's role in filling the empty nature
Key Quotes
“It is God's nature to give Himself to every virtuous soul.” — A.W. Tozer
“Know then that God is bound to act, to pour Himself out into thee as soon as ever He shall find thee ready.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must believe and press on in the way of holiness to experience the radiant glory of God.
- We don't need to persuade God, but rather trust in His generosity and willingness to give Himself to us.
- The Holy Spirit is available to fill us with God's presence and power when we separate ourselves from the world and sin.