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.

              Yours in Christ,

              Paul N. F.