Edwards calls us to improve our vision of Christ.
In A Treatise on Religious Affections, Jonathan Edwards insists that only if we see Christ clearly will we love Him and rejoice in Him as He intends:
“By the sight of the transcendent glory of Christ, true Christians see him worthy to be followed; and so are powerfully drawn after him; they see him worthy that they should forsake all for him. By the sight of that superlative amiableness, they are thoroughly disposed to be subject to him, and engaged to labour with earnestness and activity in his service, and made willing to go through all difficulties for his sake. And it is the discovery of this divine excellency of Christ, that makes them constant to him: for it makes so deep an impression upon their minds, that they cannot forget him; they will follow him whithersoever he goes, and it is in vain for any to endeavour to draw them away from him.”
How do you nurture the vision of Christ, exalted in glory? When do you concentrate your mind and heart on Him, so as to discover more of His "divine excellency"? How do you hold the vision of Christ before those you teach, that they might be strengthened in their commitment to Him, and follow Him faithfully in all His ways? Share your thoughts about seeing Jesus - how you practice this discipline, how you encourage others in it, and what you gain from it - by writing to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. And pick up a copy of Hans Boersma's Seeing God: The Beatific Vision in Christian Tradition (review forthcoming in these pages).