The Beautific Vision

“Because the face of God is so lovely, my brothers and sisters, so beautiful, once you have seen it, nothing else can give you pleasure. It will give insatiable satisfaction of which we will never tire. We shall always be hungry and always have our fill.” 

              – Augustine

The Power of Beholding

"When we see the size and beauty of the God who speaks to us, the power of sin and idolatry over our hearts is broken.

The way that we will stop sinning is not by being told over and over, 'Stop sinning!' but by seeing the majesty and glory of God in our hearts.

'But wait!' you might say. 'The Bible is full of directives and prohibitions.  Isn't the point of the Bible to stop sinning?'

Yes. But ceasing to sin is the by-product of seeing God. As we see the beauty of God and feel His weightiness in our hearts, our hearts begin to desire Him more than we desire sin. Before the Bible says, 'Stop sinning,' it says, 'Behold your God!'"

- J.D. Greear, The Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary, page 97

I'm finding gems like this on almost every page of this powerful book!