From Grace to Glory

Michael E. Wood
December 23, 2010

While reading a treatise on “The Lords Prayer” by Thomas Watson, a particular phrase continued to surface that caught my attention. As he expressed vividly a number of the benefits of the kingdom of heaven to come, as grace gives way to glory, he referred to the fact, “In the kingdom of heaven we shall be freed from all signs of God’s displeasure…Though He has the heart of a Father, he may have the look of an enemy; and that is sad…But in the kingdom of heaven, there shall be no spiritual eclipses, there shall never appear any tokens of God’s displeasure; the saints shall have a constant aspect of love from Him, they shall never complain any more, ‘My beloved had withdrawn himself.’"

Thanks be to God, that we shall be absolutely and ultimately pleasing in His sight, in every aspect of our being because of the finished work of Christ. And thanks be to Him even now for the sanctifying work of His indwelling Spirit, and the promises of His Word, which causes us to long and to pray to the end that in all things He may be glorified.

In addition to these things, we also have need to remember that we live in a fallen world, and that not every thing that happens to us in this world is an evidence of His displeasure, but is a means by which He may get glory to Himself, and for the advancement of the gospel through our response to what may appear to be a frowning providence.

When the face of God appears
Like to an enemy,
Remember that like Jesus
Is to be your destiny.
And when His smile then takes upon
The form of angered frown,
It is His pleasure to withdraw
To make more bright the crown
To be given for the loss
Of all our temp’ral things,
More sanctified and lifted up
To soar with eagles wings
Unto our gracious Father
Who regardeth all our tears.
By steadfast love, secures our way,
Removing all our fears.

So wisely now consider Him
In all you think to ponder,
As He in pleasure draws you near
Unto His heart in wonder
And awe of His great patience
As in Him is all our gain.
Though here before by things we did
Brought Him only much disdain.
But now from grace to glory
And in measure with each loss,
More grace He gives, as Jesus lives
Within to count the cost.
And by His Spirit raises us
By faith in every place.
Til all that’s left is sweet desire
To see His smiling face.