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I'm thinking of this third application now.
What do you mean "strive" —
"Strive to increase your spiritual taste for
the glory of God as your favorite pleasure"?
If you wanted to increase your love for the glory of classical music,
just increase it —
it might be small, it might be big, it might be nonexistent —
if you wanted to increase it, what would you do?
You would study it some,
and spend time talking with people who love it
and who might be able to explain some of it to you,
and you would listen and listen and listen.
Or, if you wanted to develop a love
for the glory of visual art . . .
You don't get it, you know.
You go to the Minneapolis art museum
and you just say, "Why is this considered great?"
. . . if you wanted to increase your love for the glory of visual art,
you would study it,
and you would go to museums,
and you would spend time with those who love it and talk to them,
and then you would look and look and look.
If you wanted to develop a love for the glory of the heavens, the stars,
you would get a telescope,
and you would read some astronomy,
and you would spend time with people who talk about it
and are amazed by it
and can tell you facts about it.
Then you would gaze and gaze and gaze.
And if you want to increase your love for the glory of God . . .
I mean if you want to — this is the will thing —
I wonder if you do.
I wonder if you do.
God please cause you to want this.
. . . if you want to increase your love for the glory of God
above all other glories,
then you will study God,
spend time with lovers of God, knowers of God.
You'll listen to God,
and you will look at God,
and you will gaze and gaze and gaze at the revelation of God,
especially in his Word,
and most pointedly in the face of Jesus Christ, his Son.
"We have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father,
full of grace and truth."
That's what the Gospel of John is written for.