What has our heart? That’s an important question to honestly ask ourselves. What make us tick? What has our greatest passion? Unless we look these questions straight in the face, we may as well continue to live in some kind of fantasy land. Is Christ’s glory our greatest treasure? Or is it something else? Where does His glory rank in our priorities and passions? I ask these questions as much to myself as in this blog post.

     Don’t we have to confess that the priority and passion for His glory is not as great as it should be? In his Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ, John Owen wrote the following:

“It is to be feared that there are some who profess religion with an appearance of strictness, who never separate themselves from all other occasions to meditate on Christ and his glory; and yet, with a strange inconsistency of apprehensions, they will profess that they desire nothing more than to behold his glory in heaven for ever. But it is evident, even in the light of reason, that these things are irreconcilable.” (Page 45).

     While his old English may be somewhat difficult to understand at times, the main point is: if we profess to look forward to seeing Christ’s glory in heaven while, right now, we have hardly any thoughts or desires for it is that not greatly inconsistent, to say the least?

     What’s the answer to such a state? I believe it’s seeking Him in His word and by prayer, asking Him to fan the flame for the true reason for our existence–the glory of His name. We can pray with the psalmist: “My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!” (Ps. 119:25).

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Jan Blonk
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

If Christ’s glory is the substance of the universe, history, and salvation, should our thoughts and affections not more thoroughly and deeply align themselves with that substance–His glory? In his Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ, John Owen wrote the following in relation to Christ’s glory:

“Want hereof is that fundamental mistake which keeps many among us so low in their grace, so regardless of their privileges. They hear of these things, they assent unto their truth, at least they do not gainsay them; but they never solemnly meditate upon them.” (Page 45)

     God’s true riches for His saints are found in the glory of His Son. We are to continually meditate on His glory, which is entirely related to our greatest well-being. Therefore, we greatly deprive ourselves by not doing so. Could this be the reason our lives are such a faint expression of what the Father intends them to be?

     The glory of Christ is to be our daily nourishment. If we don’t deeply meditate on His glory, we starve our soul from its true delight and rest. That’s a high price to pay.

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Jan Blonk
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

God wants the best for us. Do we really believe that? Jeremiah stated that as follows: “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13). In the scale of reality, we have the incomparable worth of Christ and the absolute vanity and emptiness of everything else. John Owen stated that as follows:

“What is the world, and what are the things thereof, which most men spend their thoughts about, and fix their affections on? The Psalmist gives his judgment about them, in comparison of a view of this glory of Christ, Ps. iv. 6, ‘Many say, Who will show us any good?’— Who will give and help us to attain so much in and of this world as will give rest and satisfaction unto our minds? That is the good inquired after. But, saith he, ‘Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.’ The light of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus is that satisfactory good alone which I desire and seek after.” (Page 41)

     Do we really believe that God’s glory is infinitely more valuable than anything else? As we quoted the psalmist yesterday, we want to quote him again because only God can do this: “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways” (Ps. 119:37).

Jan Blonk
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

It’s so easy to go through life, attend church, do one’s Christian duties, while missing out on Jesus. John Owen, in his Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ, does not mince words:

“What are all other things in comparison of the ‘knowledge of Christ?’ In the judgment of the great apostle, they are but ‘loss and dung,’ Phil. iii. 8–10. So they were to him; and if they are not so to us we are carnal.” (Page 41).

     He referenced Paul’s statement: “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ . . .” (Phil. 3:8). Does that not strike at the core of our carnality? Do we count “all things . . . as rubbish” in comparison to Jesus. If we honestly look into our heart we have to admit that this is not the case. How many times do we esteem other people’s opinion very highly to the neglect of Him? How many times do we seek after the things of this world, expressing greater delight in and passion for them than Jesus?

     These statements are not meant to necessarily beat us down, but to be honest and real: “Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being . . .” (Ps. 51:6). David said: “Who can discern his errors?” (Ps. 19:12). Ultimately we can only pray: “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways” (Ps. 119:37).

Jan Blonk
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

This site was “born” from a quote of John Owen’s Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ. As a result, we are slowly walking through his book, seeking to (re-) align ourselves with Christ’s glory. We have now come to the third chapter. The first chapter expounded on the verse upon which the book is based: “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). The essence of heaven, the new earth, and our eternal blessedness is “to see my glory.”

     The second chapter consisted of the great reality that Jesus is the sole, true representative of God, being God Himself: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Jesus is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Heb. 1:3). God has purposed from all eternity to reveal and manifest His glory “in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

     We have now come to Owen’s third chapter, which is the mystery and glory of Christ’s hypostatic union–being fully divine and fully human in one existence:

“The second thing wherein we may behold the glory of Christ, given him of his Father, is in the mysterious constitution of his Person, as he is God and man in one and the same person. There are in him, in his one single individual person, two distinct natures; the one, eternal, infinite, immense, almighty, — the form and essence of God; the other, having a beginning in time, finite, limited, confined unto a certain place, — which is our nature, which he took on him when he was ‘made flesh, and dwelt among us.’” (Page 39)

     Not only does Jesus perfectly represent God to us, He also perfectly represents us to God, which is our eternal salvation. He is our great Representative, being our very righteousness. He is all that we should and need to be! Not only does Jesus perfectly represent God to us, He also perfectly represents us to God! Click To Tweet

Jan Blonk
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

Prayer is the primary means of obtaining grace as Christians: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). In his Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ, John Owen also stretched the importance of prayer, asking God to show us the glory of Christ. We cannot just attain such a view and understanding by ourselves. We need God to do so:

“Men are not so vain as to hope for skill and understanding in the mystery of a secular art or trade, without the diligent use of those means whereby it may be attained; and shall we suppose that we may be furnished with spiritual skill and wisdom in this sacred mystery, without diligence in the use of the means appointed of God for the attaining of it? The principal of them is fervent prayer. Pray, then, with Moses, that God would show you this his glory; pray with the apostle, that ‘the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened to behold it;’ pray that the ‘God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.’” (Page 35)

     In order to see the glory of Christ, we need to fervently and consistently pray for God to show it to us. He alone can do so. Many times we lack such fervent and consistent prayer, being occupied with other, far less meaningful things. Let us start praying for it, though. Let this be our 2016 prayer: show us the beauty, excellence, and glory of Jesus Christ and let us be ravished by Him.

Jan Blonk
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

What is the greatest privilege? Isn’t the greatest privilege related to what has the greatest value and meaning? John Owen, in his Meditation and Discourses on the Glory of Christ, stated this as follows:

“Reckon in your minds, that this beholding of the glory of Christ by beholding the glory of God, and all his holy properties in him, is the greatest privilege whereof in this life we can be made partakers. The dawning of heaven is in it, and the first-fruits of glory; for this is life eternal, to know the Father, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, John xvii. 3. Unless you value it, unless you esteem it as such a privilege, you will not enjoy it; and that which is not valued according unto its worth is despised. It is not enough to think it a privilege, an advantage; but it is to be valued above other things, according unto its greatness and excellency.” (Page 34-35)

     Do we consider the “beholding of the glory of Christ” as the greatest privilege and value? Do we realize that eternal life is the knowledge of the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit? What is the knowledge of God except the knowledge of His excellence–the knowledge of His glory? Do we consider that the highest, greatest, and ultimately the only good in this life and the life to come? If not, is there not some element of despising it?

Jan Blonk
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“

What captivates our heart? What is it that brings most joy and delight to us? Those are important questions, to say the least. Unless Christ does so, we still have traces of idolatry within us, which is much more true than we either realize or want to admit. In his Meditation and Discourses on the Glory of Christ, John Owen addressed these questions:

“Is Christ, then, thus glorious in our eyes? Do we see the Father in him, or by seeing of him? Do we sedulously daily contemplate on the wisdom, love, grace, goodness, holiness, and righteousness of God, as revealing and manifesting themselves in him? Do we sufficiently consider that the immediate vision of this glory in heaven will be our everlasting blessedness? Does the imperfect view which we have of it here increase our desires after the perfect sight of it above?” (Page 33)

     Owen’s argument is that heaven will be all about “the immediate vision of this glory”–the glory of Christ–and is the totality of our blessedness. Since that is the case, should it not also be the main focus while still on this earth?

Jan Blonk
Author of “An Unfathomable Gift!“