Seeing Jesus, Loving Him, Character, and Glory

Both cups can be full, but one is capable of holding more

In John Bunyan’s vision of heaven, the holy prophet Elijah told him: “The happiness and glory which all the blessed here enjoy is the result of their communion with and love to the ever blessed God. The more we see Him, the more we love Him; and love changes our souls into His nature, and from this results our glory. This makes a difference in the degrees of glory. Nor is there any murmuring in one to see another’s glory much greater than his own. The ever blessed God is an unbounded ocean of light and life, and joy and happiness, still filling every vessel that is put therein, till it can hold no more. And though the vessels are of several sizes, while each is filled there is none that can complain. My answer therefore to your question is that those who have the most enlarged capacity do love God most, and are thereby changed most into His likeness. This is the highest glory heaven can give. Nor let this seem strange to you, for even among God’s flaming angels there are diversities of order and different degrees of glory.”

See Him --> Love Him --> become more like Him --> see Him --> love Him more --> etc

Here is how this applies to us while we are still on earth.  Paul wrote: "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." (2Co 3:18) You see, God wanted to make each and every one of us conformed to the image of his Son, so that as we view Him (God), we are transformed into the same image from glory to glory!  

When we seek His face we will see Him.  When we see Him, our capacity to love Him is enlarged, and we love Him more.  Then we will become more like Him.  This starts the whole cycle over again: seeing Him, loving Him, becoming more like Him, seeing Him, loving Him, etc.   This continues after we get to heaven.  But depending on how we lived on earth, we will enter heaven “at different places,” and some people in heaven will not love Him as much as others do.  But those who have this enlarged capacity to love, have a greater capacity to contain what God who is Love fills them with, which is His glory.  Therefore, those who love most will shine brightest with His glory in heaven.

I want to see Jesus and love Him with the same love with which He loves me.  I want to purify myself and become more like Him, as John said, "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." (1Jo 3:2-3)

I am pursuing holiness, since no man can see the Lord without holiness.  As Paul wrote: "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." (Heb 12:14).  Let me encourage you to do the same.

For John Bunyan's complete book on his vision of heaven and hell, see here. 

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: You can also find my complete collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.