“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12.

I think of a mirror with darkened glass, like those you might see in restaurants or some hotels. These darkly tinted mirrors are not so much meant to reflect you as they are to give a certain ambiance to the usually low-lighted area where they are installed.

Ordinary mirrors today do give a good representation of the person looking into them, but the ancient mirrors were of polished metal and not very good in comparison to those of today.

It is God’s intent to look into our eyes and see Jesus and this is some of the reason for the mirror analogy. When a Christian observes what can only be described as a dark mirror, they see Jesus, and Jesus is the exact representation of the Father.

“God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…” Hebrews 1:1-3.

God has predestined the Christian to be conformed to the image of His son.

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 8:29.

Though we see Jesus in the most obscure manner as we gaze into the mirror, which is the Scriptures, we cannot see ourselves very clearly, only that which we reflect as our lives are changed by life and the word of God.

Our image, as seen by God, always begins with this.

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Even though we are seen as righteous in Christ Jesus that is not our outward state, so the process of conforming us to the meek and holy image of Christ goes on continually throughout our lives.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.

Strangely enough, the more we look into this dark mirror, God’s word, the more we are transformed into the image of the obscure reflection we see of Jesus.

“For now we see in a mirror dimly [or darkly] …” 1 Corinthians 13:12a.

The word dimly, or darkly in the King James Version, has the meaning of an enigma, or dark sayings. Which tells us that Scripture can only give us a dim view of who God is, what is true holiness, or even what heaven, angels, hell, or eternity are truly like.

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3.

“But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” 1 Corinthians 2: 9-12.

Though we can see very little of the enormity of who God is, we can see a very great deal of the things we need to know in this life through God’s Holy Spirit. It is He who will reveal much to the trusting heart who wants to learn more of God.

In fact, it has been said that the Bible does not tell us everything there is to know, but it tells us everything we need to know.

“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 veil is a veil of blindness which is upon the children of Israel to this day (Exodus 34:27-35), but for the Christian the veil is taken away and we can see more clearly the glory of the Lord as we gaze into the Scriptures.

The interesting thing is that as we gaze with unveiled faces into the Scriptures we are being transformed into the image of Christ through the actions of the Holy Spirit.

However, it is important for the Christian to read God’s word carefully to learn more of the Lord, not as a chore to be done daily. Christians need heart knowledge, not head knowledge, this comes only through considering the things that we have read carefully. Even meditating on the things that make an impact on your reading.

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.” James 1:22-24.

“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6.

God has shown us through His Son exactly who He is, as shown earlier in the quote from Hebrews 1:1-3. God gives the knowledge of who He is so we may become conformed to the same image.

This is not so we would become gods; rather it is so we will in all our ways exhibit the character of children of God, which we are in Christ.

“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name…” John 1:10-12.

It is for this reason we are urged to put on the new man which we actually are in Christ Jesus.

“…if indeed you have heard Him [Jesus] and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:21-24.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1-2.

Enigma, Part 1 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 9-24-19 updated on 2-22-25 ck.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.