GLASSES OF LIMITED VISION

By Ken Blue

“Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” 1 Corinthians 13:8-13.

I saw a sign on a nursery door in some church which read, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed…” A father was seen picking up toys from his front yard. He said, “Now I know what Paul meant when he said, ‘when I became a man I put away childish things.’”

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The older we get and the more we study God’s Word, the more aware we become of just how little we know.[/perfectpullquote]

The supernatural gifts of the early church have ceased, and we are left with incomplete knowledge of this life and the life to follow. God has revealed to us all we need to know to trust Him. But, what has been revealed is childlike compared to what we are to know and experience in the next life.

The older we get and the more we study God’s Word, the more aware we become of just how little we know. Paul says our understanding at present is like that of a small child.

We are so limited on what heaven is like. What will we do throughout eternity? Where will the church be located and what will be its function? What will be our age in heaven and will we retain our features? Will we know each other as we knew them in this life? As we seek to see the answers to these and other questions, we find ourselves looking through a dark glass.

The glasses are dark, but we have enough light to know that faith, hope and charity abide, and we can trust Him who is saving the good wine for a future day. We know that to depart and be with Christ is far better than this present life. One day soon, we will be translated from this childlike understanding to the full knowledge of adulthood. What a great day that will be!