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Joseph Charles Philpot Bevindelijke geschriften & prediking
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God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light.
Psalm 118:27

If God the Lord has showed us light, He has showed us light both with respect to Himself and with respect to ourselves. He has showed us with respect to Himself Who He is; He has stamped something of Himself upon our consciences; He has discovered something of His glorious character to our souls; and brought us, under the operation of the Holy Spirit, into His presence, there to receive communications of life out of Christ’s inexhaustible fullness. Thus in this light we see and feel that we have to do with a heart-searching God; in this light we see and feel that we have to do with a sin-hating God; with a God Who will not be mocked nor trifled with.

In this light we see and feel that every secret of our heart, every working of our mind is open before Him; and in this light, so far as He is pleased to manifest it, we see what we are in His holy and pure eyes–a mass of sin, filth, and corruption, without help, without strength, wisdom, or righteousness, without creature loveliness, without anything of which we can say that it is spiritually good.

Again, God the Lord, showing us light, has showed us more or less of the way of salvation through Jesus Christ. He has not only showed us what we are by nature, but He has in a measure condescended to show us what we are by grace; not merely brought into our hearts some acquaintance with Himself as a God of perfect justice, but He has also brought, more or less, into our souls some acquaintance with Him as a God of mercy; and has thus brought us, in some solemn measure, to know Him, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom He has sent; and, thus, to have the springing up of spiritual life more or less, each according to his measure, in our souls.

To the reader…

There are times when the light of God shows you what you are in His holy eyes: without strength, without righteousness, without anything of which you can say that it is spiritually good. That is a painful sight, and many think because of it that God is against them. But who gave you that view? It is the Lord Who has shewed you light; by nature no one would see himself like that.

And He Who showed you what you are by nature also wants to show you what you are by grace. He makes Himself known not only as a God of perfect justice, but also as a God of grace in Jesus Christ, Whom He has sent. Even if your spiritual life is still weak, it is a spring that He Himself caused to rise. Wait, then, in that light for more light.

With warm regards,
The compilers of jcphilpot.nl