p. 1 | Principles and Facts

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 17, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 45.

Principles and Facts

Principles and Facts.—The truth of God presents itself to its adherents in a twofold sense—as principles and facts.

PRINCIPLES are greater than facts. Facts lie on the surface; principles are the depths out of which the facts spring. In other words, the surface facts are the outgrowth of the principles.

MERE belief rests upon the seeming fact; faith takes hold upon the principles of which the fact is a development. In the matter of creation and its cause there are thousands who believe that God created the heaven and earth by the word of his power. They see no other way by which the earth could have come into existence, and they accept the simple statement. Yet they go no farther.

BUT genuine faith in God's creative power goes deeper than this. It sees back of the fact of creation the power that wrought, the wisdom that guided, the love that actuated all. It applies these principles not only to the material creation, but to the spiritual. The man of faith not only sees that the earth and physical man exist by reason of God's creative power, but they continue to exist by the same power. If they are to continue to exist throughout all ages to come, it must be by the same power.

NOT only this, but he sees that the power of God to create was in the word spoken. God said, "Let there be light, and light was." "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made." "He spake and it was; he commanded, and it stood fast." The same word declares that God is righteous; that his law, in the very nature of the case, must be righteous also; that righteousness is life; and therefore that only those who are of like character with God can live forever with him. On the other hand, the sad truth is revealed that man is a sinner, a transgressor of God's law, doomed to death; that he cannot of himself make himself righteous, and that his only hope is in the same creative word of God through Christ, the Incarnate Word. The power of that word must be manifested in us as it was in creating this earth and its surroundings.

THIS is the great lesson of Genesis 1 to us: The earth was darkness, waste, desolate, chaotic. Even so is the natural heart of man. It is darkened and wasted by sin, and the chaos of conflicting passions reigns within. But as God through Jesus Christ by his word said, "Let there be light, and light was," so must he by the same means, the same power of the same word, bring the light of righteousness into the heart where before the darkness of sin reigned. Therefore says an apostle: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts [by his word, Ps. 119: 105], to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Cor. 4: 6.

BUT WE must receive the word. Our way and will must be submitted to God's way and will as expressed in his word. We must yield to do his precepts, yield to have his promises fulfilled in us, yield to accept in gladness his warnings, reproofs, and admonitions, and then his word will come into our heart with the same creative power manifested in the creation of the heavens and earth. In other words, we must empty ourselves of self for Christ's sake, and Christ, the Life and Light of the world, will come in and fill us with his fullness. Then, instructed by the Spirit through his word will his creative power be manifested in facts to the world. Then will the chaos of sin give place to the cosmos of righteousness, and the beauty of the Lord our God born within our hearts will be seen upon us, and all our works will be established. Let the light of Christ into the heart and it will shine out. Plant the good seed, and water it by the showers of divine grace, and it will bear fruit of itself which will glorify God. Get the principle within, and that will develop all the facts without.

WE never know how strong we are until we are tested. A drunken man generally feels stronger than when sober, but actual tests prove him weaker. God permits us to be tested that we may know our own weakness and the necessity of divine strength. We may learn both of these by faith in the simple word of Christ: "If we do, we are prepared for the test when it comes. If we do not so learn it, we will be permitted to learn our weakness by the sad experience of falling. But even then there is hope. We chose to trust ourselves, and God left us to our choice. Having found the nothingness of self, he still bids us come to him. He still says, "Let him take hold of my strength and make peace with me, and he shall make peace."