As John Owen continues laying the foundation in his Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ, he highlights that this exercise–seeing Christ’s glory by faith in this life–makes us fit for heaven:

“Music has no pleasure in it unto them that cannot hear; nor the most beautiful colours, unto them that cannot see. It would be no benefit unto a fish, to take him from the bottom of the ocean, filled with cold and darkness, and to place him under the beams of the sun; for he is no way meet to receive any refreshment thereby. Heaven itself would not be more advantageous unto persons not renewed by the Spirit of grace in this life.” (Page 21)

     Unless, through grace, we are continually seeing Jesus’ glory, “heaven itself would not be more advantageous” because that’s the essence of heaven and the new earth. If the beholding of Jesus’ glory does not bring comfort and delight to the soul, heaven would not be an appealing place–it would not be a good fit.

Jan Blonk
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

In laying the foundation for his Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ, John Owen addresses the nature of Christ’s glory: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). This is what Owen wrote:

“It was his glory, as he was “full of grace and truth.” They saw the glory of his person and his office in the administration of grace and truth.” (Page 19)

     Jesus entered our fallen, sinful, deceived world with grace and truth. That’s what his disciples saw manifested throughout His life. That is part of His glory.

Jan Blonk
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

John Owen, in his Meditation and Discourses on the Glory of Christ, stressed the vital need that we need to see Jesus’ glory by faith, for otherwise we will not be the eternal beneficiaries of seeing His glory by sight:

“No man shall ever behold the glory of Christ by sight hereafter, who does not in some measure behold it by faith here in this world. Grace is a necessary preparation for glory, and faith for sight. Where the subject (the soul) is not previously seasoned with grace and faith, it is not capable of glory or vision.” (Page 18)

     If there is no desire for and delight in Jesus’ glory, there is spiritual deadness. Unless there is some measure of seeing His glory by faith, there is no salvation. Here is a litmus test: do we have some desire for and delight in Jesus’ glory? If not, we would be entirely out of place in heaven and on the new earth.

Jan Blonk
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

As John Owen continues to emphasize the main point of his Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ, he shows that there are two ways to behold Jesus’ glory:

“There are, therefore, two ways or degrees of beholding the glory of Christ, which are constantly distinguished in the Scripture. The one is by faith, in this world, — which is ‘the evidence of things not seen;’ the other is by sight, or immediate vision in eternity, 2 Cor. v. 7, ‘We walk by faith, and not by sight.’” (Page 18)

     Until we die, we will only be able to behold Jesus’ glory by faith. After that it will be by sight, and so eternally. While the sight is obviously better than only by faith, there is a real, definite “sight” by faith.

Jan Blonk
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

John Owen’s premise in Meditation and Discourses on the Glory of Christ is as follows:

“That which at present I design to demonstrate is, that the beholding of the glory of Christ is one of the greatest privileges and advancements that believers are capable of in this world, or that which is to come. It is that whereby they are first gradually conformed unto it, and then fixed in the eternal enjoyment of it. For here in this life, beholding his glory, they are changed or transformed into the likeness of it, 2 Cor. iii. 18; and hereafter they shall be “for ever like unto him,” because they “shall see him as he is,” 1 John iii. 1, 2.” (Page 18)

     He uses 2 Corinthians 3:18 where we see that our sanctification–our growing conformity to Jesus–stands in full relation to “beholding the glory of the Lord,” and he uses 1 John 3:2 where we see that our glorification–our perfect conformity to Jesus–stands in full relation to seeing Jesus “as he is.” If I may add, our justification–being declared righteous–also stands in full relation to beholding Jesus–beholding His righteous life and sacrificial death on our behalf. God has conditioned salvation–justification, sanctification, and glorification–in full relation to beholding His Son. Is that emphasis not greatly neglected in today’s Christian books and sermons? We have been created and saved to behold Jesus. We have been created and saved to behold Jesus. Click To Tweet

Jan Blonk
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

John Owen’s book, Meditation and Discourses on the Glory of Christ, is based on one single verse (I love the puritans who wrote hundreds of pages on one verse or concept): “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). That’s what Jesus prayed and that prayer will certainly be answered.

“It is only one passage in the verse above named that at present I design an inquiry into. And this is the subject-matter of what the Lord Christ here desires in the behalf of those given him by the Father, — namely, that they may behold his glory.” (Page 16)

     God’s great design–“The End for which God created the World”–is for His people to see the glory of His Son. Let’s image a wealthy king, wanting to show his great love for his only son. He makes him a beautiful garden with all kinds of animals, waterfalls, toys, activities, etc. He then invites the whole country to come and visit the garden (for free, year-round), emphasizing that he has made it specifically and specially for his son. The citizens come and enjoy the father’s love for his son. That’s the reason for creation–the Father’s love for Jesus. We are the eternal beneficiaries.

Jan Blonk
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

 

As John Owen finishes his preface to Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ, he addresses how a present view of Christ’s glory is vital when we are about to die:

“There is none of all the things we have insisted on — neither the resignation of a departing soul into the hand of God, nor a willingness to lay down this flesh in the dust, nor a readiness to comply with the will of God, as to the times and seasons, or the way and manner of the approach of death — that can be attained unto, without a prospect of that glory that shall give us a new state far more excellent than what we here leave or depart from. This we cannot have, whatever we pretend, unless we have some present views of the glory of Christ. An apprehension of the future manifestation of it in heaven will not relieve us, if here we know not what it is, and wherein it does consist, — if we have not some previous discovery of it in this life. This is that which will make all things easy and pleasant unto us, even death itself, as it is a means to bring us unto its full enjoyment.” (Page 15)

     He highlights how nothing else but a clear understanding and present view of Christ’s glory can truly help us resign our soul “into the hand of God,” and have a “willingness to lay down this flesh in the dust,” fully submitting ourselves to the sovereign will of God as to when and how we are to die. As he finishes with this great need–having a present view of Christ’s glory in the hour of death–we are about to start with the first chapter, helping us to understand and gain such a view. Ultimately we have to believe that the obtaining of Christ’s glory far surpasses everything in this world.

Jan Blonk
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“