We've spent some time together considering that God is, that God creates, that he is triune, that he is the sum total of all of his attributes that exist in perfect harmony within his being, and that he has revealed himself in the person of Jesus. The hope is that we would embrace him as he has revealed himself and not substitute our ideas of what God should be like for the real thing.
What are the purposes of such an attempt? What do we get when we understand and embrace God as he truly is? That may be a crass way of putting it, as if we're only in this for what we can gain by it. But is that ever far from our thoughts, motives, or intentions of our hearts? Well, there are many reasons why we're traveling this road, but I would like to camp out on one for the time being. And that is that a true knowledge of God is the only way for us to have a true knowledge of ourselves.
That premise may seem innocent enough, but think of how consumed we are with ourselves. Selfies are a thing now (or at least they were for a time). Finding or discovering ourselves frequently takes up a significant portion of our lives. Journeys of self-discovery in amazing locales can be booked for significant fees. And have you ever noticed who the first person you look for in a photo is? Yup, yourself. This is all proof that we are bent in on ourselves. We are the most important person in our lives. We are the great mystery that needs to be solved. Instead of turning outward to discover who we are, we turn inward. But that is not where the answer lies.
This truth is best summarized by the pastor and theologian John Calvin. He writes, "it is evident that man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he [has] previously contemplated the face of God." His point is that when we evaluate ourselves as if there were no God, then our standards become the measure of truth. If there is no higher standard to appeal to then we're it. Calvin, again, says, "So long as we do not look beyond the earth, we are quite pleased with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue; we address ourselves in the most flattering terms, and seem only less than demigods." It isn't until we come face-to-face with God that we see ourselves as we really are. This is why men are brought low before God when he discloses himself. It is not just that God is astoundingly majestic, holy, and perfect; it's that we are not and finally realize it when we see someone who is. We forget that even the angels veil their faces before his terrifying majesty.
This realization can lead in one of two directions. It can lead to wisdom, which is the conclusion Calvin gives. Sinners are astounded to see how ignorant, vain, needy, weak, depraved, and corrupt they are. We can then respond to God as he really is and as we really are. It was only after Isaiah was brought low before his vision of God's unveiled majesty that he could receive the cleansing of his guilt and sin (Isaiah 6:1-7). Then, and only then, was he ready to respond to God's call and be his messenger (Isaiah 6:8-13).
Or we can go another direction. We can prefer our pitiful pleasures, turn from the fountain of blessing, and love the darkness rather than the light. We can suppress the truth of our knowledge of God and prefer to worship the creation more than the creator. If our evil deeds are more pleasurable to us then God's greatness, then we will never choose to live in the true knowledge of him.
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