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Beholding the Glory

Here's where the growth happens.

Growing in Christ (1)

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 by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3.18

A Divine and Supernatural Light
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
“He that is spiritually enlightened truly apprehends and sees it, or has a sense of it. He does not merely rationally believe that God is glorious, but he has a sense of the gloriousness of God in his heart. There is not only a rational belief that God is holy, and that holiness is a good thing, but there is a sense of the loveliness of God’s holiness. There is not only a speculatively judging that God is gracious, but a sense how amiable God is on account of the beauty of this divine attribute.”

Edwards is here writing about what the Puritans referred to as “experimental” knowledge – the knowledge of God that goes beyond mere intellectual understanding and assent to penetrate more deeply into one’s soul with the sense or experience of the holiness and loveliness of God. The holiness and loveliness of God become something not just to understand but to experience or partake of (2 Pet. 1.4), so that by doing so, we begin to be deeply affected and increasingly transformed into Him Whom we are thus coming to know. We are truly growing in the Lord when knowing and loving the Lord beyond mere knowledge is our daily pursuit and attainment (Eph. 3.14-19. This should be the goal of everyone who is seeking to grow in our Lord Jesus Christ. Such experimental knowledge of God brings about in us a love that exceeds understanding and exerts transforming power for the glory of God in the lives of those who experience it. This, Edwards insisted, is the privilege and calling of every true believer in Jesus Christ.

How would you explain the concept of “experimental” knowledge to a new believer? How do you experience this yourself?

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The vision of Christ

To grow in the knowledge of the Lord we must nurture a clear and compelling vision of Him, exalted in glory, dwelling amid holy angels and glorified saints. We must see Jesus, with the eye of the heart, so that we may grow in Him day by day. Our book, Be Thou My Vision, provides 28 days of daily meditations, guided by our Celtic Christian forebears, into the Biblical vision of Christ. Order your copy by clicking here.

Mission Partners Outreach
Thinking and living like a Christian begins in our daily lives, as we are going about in the world to which God sends us each day. Our Mission Partners Outreach programcan equip you to equip your church members to identify and work their Personal Mission Fields from the vantage point of a Gospel worldview and Holy Spirit power. I’m looking for some men who are looking for a reliable resource for helping the men of their church grow in Jesus Christ. If you’d like me to take you through this free, six-month program, and help you see how it could be used in your church, drop me a line at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.All quotations from Jonathan Edwards, “A Divine and Supernatural Light,” in Edward Hickman, ed., The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. Two (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1995), pp. 12 ff.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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