Many of us live a fast paced lifestyle in our attempt to gain security, health, and wealth. The end result of our almost frantic efforts to attain these goals leads some of us to feelings of insecurity, failed health, and virtual poverty. We seldom take time to think of the future… a future beyond retirement; a future after life on this earth; a future where we will come face to face with God.
One night during Jacob’s trip from Laban’s lands to the land of Canaan to rejoin his people, he found himself wrestling with an angel. The struggle lasted until dawn. Jacob named the place of this struggle, Peniel— “face of God”— for he said, “I have seen God face to face (Genesis 32:30).
One day, we will meet God, “face to face”. Moses met God at the burning bush in the wilderness. God said to Moses, “I am the God of your ancestors— the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he hid his face in his hands because he was afraid to look at God (Exodus 3:6).
We may not be as aware of our sinful nature while we are caught up in our busy lifestyle, but when we take time out from our overloaded schedule to be quiet and alone with God, we can realize how unworthy we are to “look at God” face to face.
The Bible / Old Testament (Psalm 34:1-22)
1I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.
2I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are discouraged take heart.
3Come, let us tell of the LORD’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.
4I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me, freeing me from all my fears.
5Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
6I cried out to the LORD in my suffering, and he heard me. He set me free from all my fears.
7For the angel of the LORD guards all who fear him, and he rescues them.
8Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!
9Let the LORD’s people show him reverence, for those who honor him will have all they need.
10Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will never lack any good thing.
11Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the LORD.
12Do any of you want to live a life that is long and good?
13Then watch your tongue! Keep your lips from telling lies!
14Turn away from evil and do good. Work hard at living in peace with others.
15The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help.
16But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth.
17The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.
18The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit.
19The righteous face many troubles, but the LORD rescues them from each and every one.
20For the LORD protects them from harm— not one of their bones will be broken!
21Calamity will surely overtake the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
22But the LORD will redeem those who serve him. Everyone who trusts in him will be freely pardoned.
The relationship between oneself and God in the Bible is sometimes symbolized by the face. God is holy and will not, cannot tolerate the presence of sin. If God “turns His face away”, He is indeed refusing to have us in His presence. If God “turns His face against us”, He is pronouncing judgment on our sin. If we are able to see God “face to face”, God is welcoming us into His presence.
How will God direct His face in relationship to you?
The Bible / New Testament (John 5:16-47)
16So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules [by healing this man on the Sabbath].
17But Jesus replied, “My Father never stops working, so why should I?”
18So the Jewish leaders tried all the more to kill him. In addition to disobeying the Sabbath rules, he had spoken of God as his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.
19Jesus replied, “I assure you, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.
20For the Father loves the Son and tells him everything he is doing, and the Son will do far greater things than healing this man. You will be astonished at what he does.
21He will even raise from the dead anyone he wants to, just as the Father does.
22And the Father leaves all judgment to his Son,
23so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. But if you refuse to honor the Son, then you are certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.
24“I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.
25“And I assure you that the time is coming, in fact it is here, when the dead will hear my voice— the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live.
26The Father has life in himself, and he has granted his Son to have life in himself.
27And he has given him authority to judge all mankind because he is the Son of Man.
28Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son,
29and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to judgment.
30But I do nothing without consulting the Father. I judge as I am told. And my judgment is absolutely just, because it is according to the will of God who sent me; it is not merely my own.
31“If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid.
32But someone else is also testifying about me, and I can assure you that everything he says about me is true.
33In fact, you sent messengers to listen to John the Baptist, and he preached the truth.
34But the best testimony about me is not from a man, though I have reminded you about John’s testimony so you might be saved.
35John shone brightly for a while, and you benefited and rejoiced.
36But I have a greater witness than John— my teachings and my miracles. They have been assigned to me by the Father, and they testify that the Father has sent me.
37And the Father himself has also testified about me. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face,
38and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me— the one he sent to you.
39“You search the Scriptures because you believe they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!
40Yet you refuse to come to me so that I can give you this eternal life.
41“Your approval or disapproval means nothing to me,
42because I know you don’t have God’s love within you.
43For I have come to you representing my Father, and you refuse to welcome me, even though you readily accept others who represent only themselves.
44No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from God alone.
45“Yet it is not I who will accuse you of this before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, on whom you set your hopes.
46But if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me because he wrote about me.
47And since you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”
The words of a hymn, “Face to Face”, penned by Mrs. Frank A. Breck in 1927 try to imagine what it will be like when we see Jesus “face to face”. Listen to the message of this hymn, “Face to Face”, with music by Grant Colfax Tullar.
“Face to face with Christ my Savior, face to face what will it be
When with rapture I behold Him, Jesus Christ who died for me?”
Chorus
Face to face shall I behold Him, far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory, I shall see Him by and by.
“Only faintly now I see Him, with the darkling veil between
But a blessed day is coming when His glory shall be seen.”
Chorus
Face to face shall I behold Him, far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory, I shall see Him by and by.
“What rejoicing in His presence, when are banished grief and pain
When the crooked ways are straightened and the dark things shall be plain.”
Chorus
Face to face shall I behold Him, far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory, I shall see Him by and by.
“Face to face O blissful moment! Face to face to see and know.
Face to face with my Redeemer, Jesus Christ Who loves me so!”
Chorus
Face to face shall I behold Him, far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory, I shall see Him by and by.