How is it that God Almighty is enthralled by my beauty? Don't we all ask that question? I'm not beautiful. If He really knew all about me... Wait, He does know all about me... He saw that thing I did. He knows my thoughts. ACK!
Intellectually, we all know Christ has given us His righteousness. We now stand justified before God (Romans 8:33, 2 Corinthians 5:21). However, until we're glorified, we remain sinners. The Apostle Paul likened our sin nature to a "body of death" (Romans 7:24), and that while our outward man is wasting away, our inward man is renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). The great Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon, has this to say on the subject:
Every man of God is two men in one. That new part of him, which is born of God, that new nature which was implanted in regeneration, cannot sin because it is born of God. It is the incorruptible seed, which lives and abides forever; but, as far as the man is still in the flesh, it is true that "the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be." The old nature sins through the force of nature; but the new nature sins not, because it is born of God."It is interesting this life that we live is two natures in one - a life of flesh and a life of Spirit. Even though we are still in this flesh, we walk by the Spirit. It is a daily battle of denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. The Spirit of God certainly helps us by bestowing mercy and grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16) so that we can do all things through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:13).
While our righteousness in Christ makes us justified before God, I have always struggled with why God sees me as altogether lovely if I am still sinful. True, He sees Jesus when He looks at me. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God (Galatians 2:20). I have died, and my life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).
What didn't make sense to me is that Christ wouldn't be looking at me, He would be looking at Himself. So how can I be found beautiful by the Lord if He's just looking at His own accomplishments and righteousness?
But then God clarified His own position on His love for me one day during my prayer time. I got a sudden understanding of what it means to be loved by God Himself in such a mighty and awesome way. Yes, God sees Himself in me; our bodies are the temple of God after all (1 Corinthians 3:16), but it's like sunshine through stained glass windows. Each window is different, from glory to glory, yet it is the same sunshine pouring forth, making each window a breath-taking work of art. I'm sure you may have heard this analogy before.
Yet the love of God goes even deeper than comparing us to colored panes of glass. It is not a bad thing that God sees Himself when He is enthralled by our beauty. Scripture says we are adopted into God's family, that we are now called sons of God (Romans 8:15, 1 John 3:1-2). Have you ever heard sermons where the pastor talks about the Godhead, and how each member (Father/Son/Spirit) were perfectly loving each other in relationship? That God didn't need to make us, because He was complete in Himself. He wanted to create us.
If God loves perfectly within the Godhead, therefore, He loves us by the very same standard, as we have the Spirit of God living within us and we were bought by the cross of Christ. He cannot deny Himself. We recognize that God sees Christ when He sees us, but we don't often internalize that God also loves us AS HE LOVES CHRIST.
Think about this for a moment. When God made a covenant with Abraham, He swore by Himself, as there is no greater name to swear by (Genesis 22:16-17). There is no greater Love. There is no greater Joy. There is no greater Peace than God Himself. Therefore, even God enjoys Himself. The Father delights in the Son. The Son delights in the Spirit, and the Spirit precedes from both, therefore delighting in both. And in the same way, the entire Godhead delights in His children through the sacrifice of Christ.
There truly is no greater love than the love God has for Himself. While this sounds egocentric and vain to the world, if one truly knows that God is meek and humble in heart (Matthew 11:29), then they will know the truth of it.
While we each live the life of Jesus through our faith in the Son of God, we are each unique, different members of the Body of Christ. We will never be elevated to God's level of Glory, but we shall one day be glorified, higher than the angels. Only God Himself will be higher than us in the universe and beyond. We are now a part of God's family, as high as any created being can possibly go (Ephesians 2:6, Revelation 3:21). Quite literally, we are united with Christ in God as our Bridegroom.
The two shall become one flesh. The Two shall become one Spirit.
This is the measure by which God loves us - He loves us as if we were members of His Godhead. He is enthralled by our beauty because our Beauty comes from God. There is no higher beauty. He loves us because He shines through us, but also, because He painstakingly created the stained glass window that we are. And while we're sanctified by His Truth here on earth (John 17:17), He is continuing to create us to reflect His image.
Everything in this universe begins and ends with the most glorious Being in existence -- the King of Glory. And if our glory reflects His Glory, indeed we reflect His Beauty, and in that, we take His breath away.
Praise the Lord!
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