“Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, Look Full in His Wonderful Face…”

I received the below newsletter in the mail this week from a man in his 80’s. “With the ancient there is wisdom.” So many years following and trusting in Christ. We each need to be reminded to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2). The world and all of its distractions, the flesh and our adversary, the Devil, are constantly trying to pull us away from the One on whom we should be focusing our eyes and attention.

In times like these, it takes a conscious effort to think of Him and all that He has done and provided for those who have put their faith and trust in Him alone. We have so much to be thankful for: the mercy and grace of God, the finished work of Christ on the cross, the indwelling Holy Spirit, all of the spiritual blessings we have in Christ, the Word of God, the privilege of prayer, the hope of heaven, fellowship with believers of the same mind, and the privilege of witnessing. It’s no wonder He said, “the thief comes to destroy and kill but I have come that you might life more and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

The John MacArthur Study Bible footnote on this verse says:

“Not just Moses, or prophets, apostles, and preachers, but all believers. Believers in the New Covenant have nothing obstructing their vision of Christ and His glory as revealed in the Scripture. Paul’s emphasis here is not so much on the reflective capabilities of the mirror as it is on the intimacy of it. A person can bring a mirror right up to his face and get an unobstructed view. Mirrors in Paul’s day were polished metal and thus offered a far from perfect reflection. Though the vision is unobstructed and intimate, believers do not see a perfect representation of God’s glory now, but will one day (cf. 1 Cor. 13:12). As they gaze at the glory of the Lord, believers are continually being transformed into Christlikeness. The ultimate goal of the believer is to be like Christ (cf. Rom. 8:29; Phil. 3:12–14; 1 John 3:2), and by continually focusing on Him the Spirit transforms the believer more and more into His image. From one level of glory to another level of glory—from one level of manifesting Christ to another. This verse describes progressive sanctification. The more believers grow in their knowledge of Christ, the more He is revealed in their lives (cf. Phil. 3:12–14).”

We need to keep our eyes on Christ alone. “Thou shall keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusts in thee” (Isaiah 26:3).

The MacArthurs footnote on this verse says:

“A fixed disposition of trust in the Lord brings a peace that the wicked can never know (48:22; 57:21). Such reliance precludes double mindedness (James 1:6–8) and serving two masters (Matt. 6:24).”

And now the newsletter…

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus by Homer Larsen
The Crusader Radio & Internet Ministry, Vol 28 No 4, Fall 2008

When I was a youth, I learned a chorus at Bible camp. It goes like this:

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full in his wonderful face
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.” (Helen Lemmel)

These words have brought great peace to my soul in a special way these past months. I must confess that I have wondered what happened to the comfortable little world I once enjoyed and expected to continue enjoying.

Life can sometimes be discouraging, and we can become melancholy. The year 2008 has been one of those times for me. Our area was hit hard with a tornado and a flood. Many people lost their homes; a few lost their lives.

This year has grown long as we listened to political mudslinging from those trying to win a seat in some political body. It grew old and wore on people’s nerves. Good friends and families argued the pros and cons of each candidate.

At the same time came the financial crisis and the government bailout. What was going to happen to the few dollars we had saved to pay for the $200-a-day care that might face us at the nursing home?

Change is not easy for some of us. Soon we have to ask ourselves if we are depressed. Do we need a pill?

In the midst of this turmoil, the marvelous chorus, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus,” that I sang as a youth around a bonfire brought great peace to my soul. My eyes had turned to professionals such as politicians, financiers, medical people, and theologians. They are well-meaning people with strong convictions, but they are only human and do not have all the answers. I was foolish to think they do. Instead I needed to look into the eyes of Jesus and let Him remind me of the real values in life.

Some of these thoughts that Jesus gave to me and I now pass on to you are:

• Human promises may sometimes fail us, but God’s promises are always sure. Storms come and go, but Christ walks with us.
• “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (I Timothy 6:10).

We all know we need money for the necessities, and a few luxuries, of life. Generally, if we apply ourselves and make use of our God-given talents, He provides. However, when material possessions become our god, and we build our security for the future on money, a financial crisis, such as the one we are experiencing right now, can create inner fears that tear us apart. Then it is time to look to Jesus for help and to hear him say, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” (Mark 8:36). God will provide.

• In this life we are aliens and strangers. In matters of death and dying, our only teacher of any merit is the Lord. It is human nature to hang on to this life as long as possible. At eighty-four years of age, I am still making plans for what will happen when I am eighty-seven or eighty-eight. Some say that is good; I sometimes wonder if it is stupidity. God has said, and the newspaper obituaries prove, that life’s strength has just about run out by the time you hit the eighty-year-old mark.

Let these be good years and enjoy them with our loved ones and friends. Let something worthwhile occupy our time. And while we are doing this, let us look into the face of Jesus and hear him say, “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we look for the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14).

When I learned that chorus, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus,” at a Bible camp in New Hampshire seventy years ago, I didn’t expect I would still be singing it today. Life may not happen the way we expect it will, but experience has taught me that, through all the turmoil, Jesus is my peace and joy.