To Gaze on Unseen Things

April/The Martyr Life

20 April 2010

Who is closest to God? The one who meditates concerning Him. Whom does Christ help? The one who does good. In whom does the Holy Spirit abide? In the one who is pure, without sin. One is a vessel of the Holy Spirit when the virtues come in place of the vices.

  - Colman mac Beognai, Aipgitir Chrabaid (Irish, 7th century)

For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.

  - 2 Corinthians 4.17, 18

That word, "look," is much too weak. A better translation would be "as we carefully consider and ponder." Gazing on the realm of unseen things, where Christ is stationed at the right hand of God, requires diligent attention and continuous exertion. Plenty of passages of Scripture give us glimpses through the veil of space and time into the nature and glory of this unseen realm (cf. Rev. 1, 4, 5, 14; Pss. 2, 9, 45, 47, 110; etc.). But we must apply ourselves to the task, or we will not gain the benefit Paul knew in the midst of his many burdens and afflictions.

The "practice of things not seen" is an integral part of saving faith (Heb. 11.1). This is doubtless one reason why, in the literature and art of the Celtic Christian period, there is so much emphasis on this glory-filled realm. Christ promises to be with us always, wherever we are; He also commands us to seek Him out where He is, and to dwell in His presence in fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore (Col. 3.1-3; Ps. 16.11).

We won't have much of a witness for the Lord without a genuine fixation and firm reliance on the spiritual realities in which we live and move and have our being. This is a call to longer and deeper meditation, to prayers throughout the day, to more overt and consistent singing to the Lord, and to encouraging and talking with one another about these unseen glories. How else will we make them real in our experience, unless we treat them as real in our everyday space and time?

We are called to be witnesses, and the more clearly, consistently, and accurately we carefully consider and ponder the unseen realm, the clearer and more consistent and accurate will be our witness for the risen Christ.

Today in ReVision: Slippery Slope?

This Week's Download: Be Witnesses - Still time to get this freebie and put it to work in your life.

The Law of God is an important part of our witness for Christ, but we need to consider it carefully and ponder it often. Get your copy today.

T. M. Moore, nacurragh@aol.com