There is a hauntingly beautiful invitation hidden in Hebrews 12:14: “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Did you catch it? Make every effort. As if peace doesn’t just fall into our laps. As if holiness isn’t an accidental by-product of being “good people.” It’s a call to intention.
A divine summons. And it comes with this staggering condition: without it, we will not see the Lord. But isn’t that what every soul has longed for since the beginning?
Moses said, “Show me Your glory” (Exodus 33:18). David cried, “My heart says of You, ‘Seek His face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8). Job, after all his suffering, finally whispers, “My ears had heard of You but now my eyes have seen You” (Job 42:5). To “see God” is more than a moment, it’s the ultimate reward.
The culmination of every heartache, every act of obedience, every step we take toward holiness and peace. But can we even stand in His presence if we were to see Him? Scripture says God is “a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). In Exodus 33:20, God says, “No one may see Me and live.” And yet, Revelation 22:4 tells us that in eternity, “They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.”What changed?
How can we, mere dust, behold the face of holiness? The answer is tucked further down in Hebrews 12:22-23:“ But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn…”Can you picture it? A universe of angels, bursting with joy in the throne room of God, no hesitation, no shame, just rapturous worship. And we are there too. Not as spectators, but participants.Why?
Because by grace and obedience, we are being transformed. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:18: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever increasing glory…”
The more we become like Him, the clearer we begin to see Him. Obedience, then, is not about rule following, it is about vision restoration. Every time we love our neighbor. Every time we choose peace. Every time we forgive. Every time we reject sin and say yes to Jesus again, we become clearer mirrors of His image.
We get a glimpse of His heart. We begin to see His face. And how do we know what obedience looks like? How do we know how to become like Him?
Through the Word.The Word is not just a book, it’s a tool. “All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
It shows us the small things, patience, joy, gratitude, and the big things, faith, repentance, love. And here’s the breathtaking part: He has already equipped us for it.
He “knew” (Hebrew: yada) us before He formed us (Jeremiah 1:5). Yada isn’t just head-knowledge, it is deep, intimate, complete understanding.
He knew what you’d need. He placed within you every good gift (James 1:17), every seed of purpose and strength to become what He designed. So what is the blessing of obedience? It’s not just favor, or provision, or peace, though those follow. It’s that we will see Him. Not dimly.
Not from afar. But face to face. The face that dreamed of you before time began. The face that bled for your redemption.
The face that now waits with blazing love in His eyes and glory on His brow. And I don’t know about you…But I want to see Him. I’ll choose peace. I’ll pursue holiness. I’ll obey. Because if that’s what opens my eyes to behold Him…then no price is too high. (VICKY LUDICK)
Kingdom News: “That we may see His face”
