IN THE LIGHT OF GOD

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jun 19, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 32.

IN THE LIGHT OF GOD.

WRITTEN over the temple door of the old Delphic oracle, it is said, was the inscription, "Know Thyself." It is a very important injunction, but utterly impossible to attain by man's own power. Had the "wise" ancients known themselves, they would never have sought the muttering oracles of Delphi and Dodona. Man has ever been seeking knowledge, and yet he has never known himself. Nor can he by searching himself find out himself.

And yet this is what Christians are frequently exhorted to do. They are told to search their own heart, look into their own lives, find out themselves, all of which is in a certain sense true and possible of attainment, but not in the sense often intended and understood by many honest souls. Heathen philosophers through the ages of the past have sought within to know themselves, to know man, and they have written very many ingenious things, many fancies both pleasing and morbid, many contradictory things, all of which show that their quest was vain so far as real profit is concerned. They knew not themselves, and their gods were like unto them.

There is reason why man cannot know himself by searching himself. The Bible reveals that "the whole world lieth in wickedness." "Wickedness" is synonymous with spiritual "darkness." And so Paul writes to

those whom Christ had cleansed, "Ye were sometimes darkness." Searching themselves was therefore searching in the dark. They could learn something, perhaps, they could stumble upon some facts pertaining to themselves, but these would be vague, uncertain, incoherent. The knowledge could profit but little, and what was gained, whatever theory was evolved by such knowledge, would be very likely to be overthrown by the next discovery in the darkness. The great fact that man does not of himself know himself is thus stated by the prophet:—

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" Jer. 17:9.

Not only must man grope in darkness to obtain a knowledge of himself, but the heart is deceitful; when he learns what he supposes to be a fact, it often deceives him with only seeming to be what it appears, the reality of which he learns when he plucks its fruit of Dead Sea apples. Notice also the challenge which the Lord makes, "Who can know it?"—equivalent to saying that it is impossible for man to know.

Whence, then, and how shall this knowledge be obtained? We answer, From the Source of all wisdom and knowledge. "I the Lord search the heart." Jer. 17:10. Of Christ, in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead, it is said:—

"But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man; for he knew what was in man." John 2:24, 25.

To this Source, to the Light of the world, to the enlightening power of the word and Spirit of God, we turn. Notice the following scriptures:—

"For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life." Prov. 6:23.

"For the word of God is quick [living], and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Heb. 4:12, 13.

To Him to whom we must give account, and with whom, therefore, we have to do, we go for all knowledge pertaining to ourselves. We would know the truth, bad as it is. In his light would we see ourselves; and we may be assured that his word will not flatter us. It will reveal us to be poor and wretched and miserable and blind and naked. But this point we will consider at some other time. We wish now to consider as to how we may best know our condition. Is it to read God's word, and then turn from that to a contemplation of ourselves, to dwell on our sins, to dissect and analyze each failure and fault and weakness? Many have tried this way, many are still trying it, with sadness of heart and constancy of failure. Looking at the darkness within they become filled with darkness. Looking at the sin, their sin, they seek an excuse for the sin. Gazing upon themselves, they naturally compare themselves with the nearest objects, and they get to looking at their neighbors, and condoning their sins by their neighbors' faults.

The only way to know self is in the light of God. The only way we may obtain his light is to fix our eyes upon him. "If thine eye is single," if it is steadfastly placed upon God and the light and glory of his character, "thy whole body shall be full of light." And in that light will be seen man's weakness, sinfulness, and nothingness. But some fear that they will not see themselves sinful enough unless they turn within and look at the sin. That is the very trouble. Just as long as one does that, he will never see himself the sinner that he is, will never possess proper humility and contrition. Take three instances where looking upon God revealed the sinfulness of self, every one occurring in the case of eminent servants of God. In Isa. 6:1-4 the prophet records his vision of God and his glory. In the light of that glory he saw himself. How did it affect him? He says: "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips; . . . for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." But God did not reveal the prophet's sinfulness in order to discourage him; he never does. He revealed the iniquity, that he might purge it away. The prophet confessed his sin and God removed it. It is only when we turn our gaze upon ourselves that the sin remains and we become discouraged. When the light of God reveals the wound, it reveals the healing. When it shows the bruise, it brings the balm.

Another case is that of Daniel, the man "greatly beloved" of God. He says, as a vision of Gabriel clothed in God's glory came before him: "Therefore was I left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me; for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength." Dan. 10:8. But the glory which revealed his weakness and corruption, gave him strength and courage.

It was so with the apostle Paul. He never knew himself, never saw himself, till, on his journey of persecution to Damascus, his eyes fell upon the face of the glorified Christ. He saw himself then, as he has recorded in Romans 7. But the One in whose light he saw himself a sinner, cleansed him from all sin.

The nearer we get to God, the more we see of him, the more we see of the utter unworthiness and nothingness of self, but it will never discourage; for healing and cleansing and help will come with the glory thus revealed. O reader, "acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace; thereby good shall come unto thee." Job 22:21. And then "Walk in the light, The beautiful light of God."