[“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, LOOKING UNTO JESUS, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1,2) ]

Only three words, but in those three words is the whole secret of life.

LOOKING UNTO JESUS in the Scriptures, to learn there what He is, what He has done, what He gives, what He desires; to find in His character our pattern, in His teachings our instruction, in His precepts our law, in His promises our support, in His person and in His work a full satisfaction provided for every need of our souls.

LOOKING UNTO JESUS Crucified, to find in His shed blood our ransom, our pardon, our peace.

LOOKING UNTO JESUS Risen, to find in Him the righteousness which alone makes us righteous, and permits us, all unworthy as we are, to draw near with boldness, in His Name, to Him Who is His Father and our Father, His God and our God.

LOOKING UNTO JESUS Glorified, to find in Him our Heavenly Advocate completing by His intercession the work inspired by His loving kindness for our salvation (1 John 2:1); Who even now is appearing for us before the face of God (Hebrews 9:24), the kingly Priest, the spotless Victim, continually bearing the iniquity of our holy things (Exodus 28:38).

LOOKING UNTO JESUS revealed by the Holy Spirit, to find in constant communion with Him the cleansing of our sin-stained hearts, the illumination of our darkened spirits, the transformation of our rebel wills; enabled by Him to triumph over all attacks of the world and of the evil one, resisting their violence by Jesus our Strength, and overcoming their subtlety by Jesus our Wisdom; upheld by the sympathy of Jesus, Who was spared no temptation, and by the help of Jesus, Who yielded to none…

LOOKING UNTO JESUS to receive from Him the task and the cross for each day, with the grace which is sufficient to carry the cross and to accomplish the task; the grace that enables us to be patient with His patience, active with His activity, loving with His love; never asking “What am I able for?” but rather: “What is he not able for?” and waiting for His strength which is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 2:19)…

LOOKING UNTO JESUS and at nothing else…, which at the same time directs us to fix our gaze upon Him, and to turn it away from everything else.

UNTO JESUS and not at ourselves, our thoughts, our reasonings, our imaginings, our inclinations, our wishes, our plans;

UNTO JESUS and not at the world, its customs, its example, its rules, its judgments…

UNTO JESUS and not at our brethren, not even to the best among them and the best beloved. In following a man we run the risk of losing our way; in following Jesus we are sure of never losing our way. Besides, in putting a man between Jesus and ourselves, it will come to pass that insensibly the man will increase and Jesus will decrease; soon we no longer know how to find Jesus when we cannot find the man, and if he fails us, all fails. On the contrary, if Jesus is kept between us and our closest friend, our attachment to the person will be at the same time less enthralling and more deep; less passionate and more tender; less necessary, and more useful; an instrument of rich blessing in the hands of God when He is pleased to make use of him; and whose absence will be a further blessing, when it may please God to dispense with him, to draw us even nearer to the only Friend who cannot be separated from us by “neither death nor life” (Romans 8:38-39)…

UNTO JESUS and not at the obstacles which meet us in our path. As soon as we stop to consider them, they amaze us, they confuse us, they overwhelm us, incapable as we are of understanding either the reason why they are permitted, or the means by which we may overcome them. The apostle began to sink as soon as he turned to look at the waves tossed by the storm; it was while he was looking at Jesus that he walked on the waters as on a rock. The more difficult our task, the more terrifying our temptations, the more essential it is that we look only at Jesus…

UNTO JESUS and not at our strength. Our strength is good only to glorify ourselves; to glorify God one must have the strength of God.

UNTO JESUS and not at weakness. By lamenting our weakness have we ever become more strong? Let us look to Jesus, and His strength will communicate itself to our hearts, His praise will break forth from our lips…

UNTO JESUS and not at what we are doing for Him. Too much occupied with our work, we can forget our Master – it is possible to have the hands full and the heart empty. When occupied with our Master, we cannot forget our work; if the heart is filled with His love, how can the hands fail to be active in His service?…

UNTO JESUS and not at our defeats or victories. If we look at our defeats we shall be cast down; if we look at our victories we shall be puffed up. And neither will help us to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12). Like all our blessings, the victory, with the faith which wins it, is the gift of God though our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57) and to Him is all the glory…

LOOKING UNTO JESUS as long as we remain on the earth, — unto Jesus from moment to moment, without allowing ourselves to be distracted by memories of a past which we should leave behind us, nor by occupation with a future of which we know nothing.

UNTO JESUS NOW, if we have never looked unto Him, —

UNTO JESUS AFRESH, if we have ceased doing so, —

UNTO JESUS ONLY,

UNTO JESUS STILL,

UNTO JESUS ALWAYS, with a gaze and more constant, more and more confident, “changed into the same image from glory to glory”. (2 Corinthians 3:18) and thus awaiting the hour when he will call us to pass from earth to Heaven, and from time to eternity, — The promised hour, the blessed hour when at last “we shall see Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John. 3:2).

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Selected from the booklet “Looking unto Jesus” by Theodore Monod (1874). Translated from the French by Helen Willis (who added the paragraph “…and not at our defeats or victories…”). Published by Bible Light Publishers, P. O. Box 442, Fo Tan, New Territories, Hong Kong. In the US: www.BibleTruthPublishers.com, (630) 543-1441. In Canada: Believer’s Bookshelf, 5205 Regional Rd. 81, Unit 3, Beamsville, Ontario, L0R 1B3, CANADA. Phone: (905) 563-4929; bbcan@vaxxine.com