Growth in knowing Him more
...but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:10-12
Remember when you were told to do things when you were still a child and you resisted because you do not see the value of doing them? But when you listened and obeyed, you realized that what you were told to do was beneficial to you. What made you decide to listen and obey? Growing into maturity was the reason why you change your perspective. This is also true to Christian living. When we claim that we are children of God, obedience to Christ should characterize our life. This is a daunting task because obedience is not easy to do. But once we grow in our relationship with Him, obedience is no longer a burden but a source of joy. We start to find delight in doing His will for our lives. From the text, between the present age and the time after Christ’s return, Paul said that he knew in part, but in the end he would know fully even as he was fully known. By this he meant that he and other believers would know God intimately and personally in heaven, just as God already knows all believers. Human knowledge is imperfect in at least two ways: it is finite and corrupted by sin. In the world to come, believers will be fully redeemed from sin and its effects (Rom. 8:29–30), but they will still be finite. Paul did not mean that believers will fully comprehend God in eternity. That would be impossible. Instead, he focused on the personal and direct nature of believers’ future knowledge of God. Our knowledge of who God is should continue to grow. In this way, our perspective of God’s faithfulness changes and this helps us to trust Him more. It inspires us to live in holiness and to love Him more. We want to obey Him because we know that He alone knows what is best for our lives. “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life” (John 6:68). We become convinced that He alone has the plan for our life that He will continually unfold as we willingly submit ourselves to His leading. Obedience to God then is no longer a chore that we do, but an increasing desire even before we are asked to do. Let us continue to ask God to help us be more trusting, more loving, and more willing to do what pleases Him and do what will bring glory to His Name.
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman
www.my-wbc.com
