SEEKING THE FACE OF GOD #2

By David J. Riggs

Intro.
   A. In our last lesson, we considered the plan of redemption from
      the standpoint of "Seeking the face of God."
   B. Because of the sin of our original parents, man lost five major
      things.
      1. He lost his trust and loyalty to God.
      2. He lost his innocence.
      3. He lost his fellowship with God.
      4. In part, he lost his likeness to God.
      5. He lost Eden. 
   C. Let us use Rom. 8:28-30 as our text as we continue our study
      on seeking the face of God.
      1. These verses show God's plan of the ages.
      2. They shows how God reversed those five major things
         which man had lost.

I. REGARDING MAN'S TRUST AND LOYALTY TO GOD.
   A. God foreknew that down through the ages there would be
      certain individuals who would seek His face, who would seek
      a right relationship with Him.  Rom. 8:29
   B. Those whom He foreknew, He predestined to be conformed
      to the image of His Son.
      1. In other words, He pre-determined what kind of
         character they must have.  They must be like His Son. 
         The same is taught in Eph. 1:3-4.
   C. Those whom He predestined, He also called.  Rom. 8:30
      1. God Himself took the initiative in restoring man's trust
         and loyalty by calling man to Himself.
      2. God began that call in the garden of Eden and it was
         echoed by the prophets.  Jer. 35:15
      3. Of course, the true call is in and through Jesus Christ.
         a. He expressed His purpose in calling us.  Luke 5:32
         b. The 2 Cor. letter describes what God was doing in
            Jesus Christ.  2 Cor. 5:19-20
         c. The Lord Jesus calls people all over the world who
            have the desire to know God and seek His face.

II. REGARDING RESTORATION OF MAN'S INNOCENCE. 
   A. Rom. 8:30 - Those whom He called, He also justified.
      1. God dealt with that problem of sin, and He dealt with
         that problem by allowing His Son to die in our place.  2
         Cor. 5:21
      2. Thus, God has arranged for the forgiveness of the sins of
         mankind.
         a. We have that forgiveness when by faith in Jesus
            Christ, we are united with Him, in the sacrifice He
            made for our sins.  Rom. 6:3-4

III. REGARDING THE FELLOWSHIP WHICH MAN LOST.
   A. We can have the fellowship and union with God that was lost
      in the garden.  
      1. We sit together in the heavenly places.  Eph. 2:4-7
   B. When we come forth from that burial in baptism, there is still
      a problem.
      1. We find that we still have some of those same desires
         that we had that caused us to rebel against God.
      2. We find ourselves very much unlike God, even though
         we have now been forgiven.
         a. How can I, with my bad habits and weaknesses, be
            in the image of God?

IV. RESTORING THE IMAGE WHICH MAN LOST.
   A. Rom. 8:29 - He predestined that we be conformed to the
      image of His son.
   B. It takes a lifetime to gain the image of the Son.
      1. Through God's promises, we become partakers of the
         divine nature.  2 Pet. 1:3-5
      2. The new man is renewed in the knowledge of the One
         who created the new man.  Col. 3:9-10
      3. We are transformed by the Spirit of the Lord.  2 Cor.
         3:18
   C. We must visualize what we are trying to become.
      1. An artist cannot paint a beautiful painting unless he has in
         his mind what he's trying to achieve.
      2. We must have the image of Christ in our minds.
         a. He is the brightness of God's glory; the express
            image of His person.
   D. To be like God was difficult in O.T. times.
      1. Can you imagine the children of Israel being told, as they
         stood at the foot of a trembling, smoking, mount Sinai,
         with lightening and thunder, with the piercing voice of
         God, that is what you are supposed to be like.
      2. God adapted Himself to our needs so that we can
         visualize a man in the perfect likeness of God
      3. God came into the world in the person of Jesus Christ,
         lived among us, and showed what we are to be like.
   E. We must go back to the original.
      1. Michael Angelo painted his magnificent "Last Judgment"
         in the Sistine Chapel in 1541, but over the centuries it
         had accumulated much dirt, grease, and grime. Some
         painters had gone in and made some changes in it, and by
         the 1900's, no one knew exactly what it was supposed to
         be. Thus, in 1990, they began an effort to restore the
         painting to it's original form, and artists were amazed that
         some of the creatures there were totally different from
         what they thought they were. It had now been brought
         back to the original.
      2. Man's perception of Jesus Christ has been dreadfully
         defiled over the centuries by numerous changes, mis-
         conceptions, and ideas which have been forced upon us.
         a. It is essential that we go back to the original account
            of Jesus Christ as given in Matt. Mark, Luke, and
            John, as well as the interpretation of His life that we
            have in the epistles.

V. EDEN WILL BE RESTORED.
   A. Rom. 8:31 - Those whom He justified, He also glorified.
   B. God will finish His purpose.  Job recognized this long ago. 
      Job 14:14-15
      1. When God sees us struggling to become like our Savior,
         in His mercy and grace He reaches down, when we have
         gone as far as we can go, and takes us and finishes the
         job.
      2. Our bodies will be changed to be like the glorious body
         of Christ.  Phil. 3:20-21
         a. How can this old warn-out body be made in the
            likeness of His glorious body, especially when it has
            decayed and turned back to dust?
         b. That was the question the Corinthians asked.
            (1) They weren't wanting information.  They were
                making an argument against the resurrection.
            (2) In other words, "How can it be done?"  And,
                "Since it can't be done, there is no
                resurrection."
         c. Paul's answer - 1 Cor. 15:35-49.
   C. God has another Eden prepared for us.
      1. This Eden is described in the 21 chapter of the book of
         Revelation, beginning with verse one.  Rev. 21:1-4
         a. This is Eden restored - mankind in God's image,
            dwelling in Paradise, God dwelling with man and
            speaking to man as He walks in the garden day by
            day, just as it was in the beginning.

VI. SEEING GOD'S FACE.
   A. There is one thing that has been denied man for as long as he
      has existed.  John 1:18
   B. Moses saw the glory of God as is shown in Ex. 33:20-23.
      1. Moses pleaded with God to see more, not just His glory
         as He passed by.
      2. Moses said, "Let me see your face," but God said, "No
         man can see My face and live."
   C. Isaiah saw the glory of God in the temple.  His train filled the
      temple.  He saw the Seraphims there.
      1. He saw the smoke that filled the temple, the door posts
         shuck, and God spoke, but there is no indication that he
         saw the face of God.
   D. Ezekiel had that marvelous vision by the river Chebar of those
      wheels turning.
      1. Up high on the throne was the likeness of a man, but
         what did he see?  He saw above the waist the color of
         amber, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. 
         Again, there was no face shone.
   E. Not being allowed to see the king's face was to be a second-
      class citizen.
      1. After Absalom killed his half-brother, Amnon, he was
         expelled from Jerusalem, and through Joab's aid, he was
         brought back, but David said, "He can't see my face."
      2. As long as Absolom was refused the privilege of seeing
         the king's face, he realized he was a second-class citizen.
   F. Someday, the righteous will see the face of God.
      1. The redemption of man is so complete that not only is he
         restored to innocence by the grace of God, to fellowship
         so that he sits with Christ in the heavenly places, to the
         likeness of the Lord's glorious body, and given a better
         Eden in which to live, but he shall see the face of God. 
         Rev. 22:4

Concl.
   A. When that transpires, God's purpose for the ages will have
      been accomplished.
   B. Only faintly do we now see Him, with a dark veil between us,
      but a blessed day is coming when His glorious face will be
      seen by all the faithful.
   C. Song: "Face to face."