1 Corinthians 13:11-13 21st Century King James Version
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then shall I know, even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.
Other versions translate glass as mirror. What is a mirror if not a glass that is coated on the back side in order to see our own reflection? We will never see Jesus in the mirror. In this version it describes the glass as darkly and what is darkness? Sin?
Since the obstacle to seeing Jesus on the other side of this glass is our sins, no amount of cleaning the glass on our side will remove the sin on the other side. It is Jesus who forgives sins and cleans His side of the glass allowing us to see Him a little better as sin in our lives is removed.
But we continue to sin and that darkens His side of the glass. If we cannot see Him more clearly, it is our sinning that interferes. He will not clean His side unless we repent and seek forgiveness.
Ephesians 1:4-5 Authorized (King James) Version
4 according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.
Being holy does two things. It cleans our side of the glass and keeps from darkening His side of the glass.