After death, believers will be like Christ.

Part 1

“As for me.”
In this psalm, David has been speaking about his enemies.  He is concerned about the things of God, and their concern is for the things of this present world.  But he wants us to know that he is thinking differently, and he looks at his life, death, and his future resurrection differently, “as for me…”

“I will behold thy face in righteousness.”
David has a firm belief in life after death.

“I will see Your face: David was confident not only of life after death but that he would one day see the face of God.  The idea is not merely of contact with God, but of unhindered fellowship with God”[1] (Guzik).

He understood that the condition of “beholding thy face” is being “in righteousness.”  This is the necessity for all who want to be with God in eternity.

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

Not just any righteousness will do to make a man “good enough” for heaven.  Self-righteousness leaves God out of the picture and dooms the soul.  It is only the righteousness of Christ that can get a soul to heaven.  We must have His holiness to “see God’s face.”

“I shall be satisfied.”
David’s enemies were satisfied with what they had in this life.  But he looked forward to satisfaction in the Lord in the next life.

“From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes” (Psalm 17:14).

“When I awake.”
David saw his death as a time for his body to sleep.  He looked forward to the time in the future when it will be time to get up.

If you are a born-again child of God, you also should have this confidence, “when I awake,” I will be with my God.  Come back tomorrow as we think about the changes that will take place in our resurrected bodies.

[1] Guzik, David. David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.