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(continued from previous page)
 The
Holy Spirit is the "revealer" of deity (1 Cor. 2:10),
and Peter says "The prophecy came not in old time by the
will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the
Holy Ghost (2 Pet. 1:21). And Jesus said, "I have yet many
things to say unto you (Apostles, rt) but ye cannot bear them
now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will
guide you into all truth..." (Jn. 16:12-f). God expressed
His will "in (words) which the Holy Ghost teacheth" (1
Cor. 2:13) so men can understand (Eph. 3:1-6).
And
the long history of God's revelation of Himself to man reaches
its apex in one who has the Spirit without limitations (Jn.
3:34). John wrote "No man hath seen God at any time; the
only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath
declared him" (Jn. 1:18). With the coming of Jesus deity
put on flesh and dwelt among men. "In Him dwelleth all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9). In the Son of
God incarnate the love of God, the power of God; the compassion,
light, truth, holiness — the very essence of God — is
translated into a demonstration that can be understood by sinful
men.
Jesus
once said, "If ye had known me, ye should have known my
Father also...." and when Philip said, "Show us the
Father" Jesus replied, "Have I been so long time with
you, and yet hast thou not known me?" "He that hath
seen me hath seen the Father" (Jn. 14:7-f). To the extent
we "see" (perceive, know) Jesus Christ, we
"know" God. The thoughtful student should begin to
recognize a "pattern of revelation" in all these
things.
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Time
and space bound men cannot "know" God as they know
material matters; but God has revealed Himself in marvelous
fashion, and "knowing God" takes on a new
significance. Man need not, nor can he "ascend into
heaven" or "descend into the deep" to find God.
He is near every one of us in the word of faith which His
messengers have proclaimed (Rom. 10:6-17). And as we trust Him,
and live the kind of life to which He calls us, we begin to
"know" God in a way that affects our very character.
John wrote, "Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep
his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his
commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso
keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected:
hereby know we that we are in him" (1 Jn. 2:3-5). Jesus
said, "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my
Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our
abode with him" (Jn. 14:23).
Sin
separates man from God, and pride blinds man to his true
condition. In his vanity he would bring God down to his own
level, or presume to "transcend" into God's level. We
will ever remain ignorant of God if we follow this course. But
God will be God despite man's failures. He has loved us
"while we were yet sinners" (Rom. 5:6-11), and through
the ultimate "revelation" of Himself in Jesus Christ,
has made it possible for us to know and be known. The good news
concerning Christ, and the whole of His message to us, is
available to all who will prayerfully consider the inspired word
of God. The Bible is the God-given window into heaven.
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