The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"Nothing… Something"
"The heart and mind truly enlightened in spiritual realities knows that eternally infinite measures of glory await believers in this life and forevermore. That which we attain blesses us both in the present possession, and in its promise of wonders forevermore to come."
"In nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing" (II Corinthians 12:11).
Was the Apostle Paul actually nothing? Hardly. But aren't we glad he felt this way about himself?
"By the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (I Corinthians 15:10).
The more one grows in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, the more he knows how much he does not know. Paul realized this about himself and about all: "And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know… I count not myself to have apprehended" (I Corinthians 8:2; Philippians 3:13). How could it be any other way when an infinite, eternal God beckons us into His glorious light? As the Apostle affirms, we could all know so much more than we do.
In real terms, the know-it-alls are actually the know-nothings. A friend and I discussed this truth the other day, that if we ever reach a place where we feel like we have learned much, we actually have not. This is not to suggest that we cannot learn, and that we cannot comprehend God and His truth well enough to walk with Him in consistent faith and faithfulness. However, because knowledge can "puff up" with pride, we do well to keep in mind that the more we seem to understand, the more we need to understand (I Corinthians 8:1). The light of God, as administered by the Spirit of God, ever and forever glorifies the Son of God (John 16:14). Thus, if we learn from our Teacher, the Holy Spirit, we will always come away with the awareness of the ineffable greatness and glory of the Lord Jesus. The more we truly know of Him, the more we realize how little we know (wondrously, we will feel this way - and even more - in eternity also, a subject for another consideration).
We do well when it comes to God and His truth to seek voices that emanate from hearts filled with wonder. Certainly, we desire to listen to those who well know the Bible and its doctrines, rightly interpreted and applied. However, technical accuracy regarding God's truth does not fully suffice in understanding or communicating the Bible. The heart and mind truly enlightened in spiritual realities knows that eternally infinite measures of glory await believers in this life, and in the life to come. That which we attain blesses us both in the present possession, and in its promise of wonders forevermore. "Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old" (Matthew 13:52). Those who appreciate the truth of Christ seen as a sunrise, promising greater illuminations of an eternally coming day, will be those to whom we should give our attention and appreciation.
Paul was one of those voices to his generation, and remains so until the present hour in his epistles. Because he saw himself as "nothing" when measured against the Christ he discovered and communicated, he became the most noble of somethings in God's purposes. We must join our brother of old, seeking the wisdom of truth for this day, and its promise of ever-increasing wonder to come. We shall not be disappointed as we journey into the Light that concurrently lifts us up and humbles us. Listen to no one who does not give clear indication of a heart thrilled with truth known, and a heart filled with the awareness of "nothing yet as he ought to know."
"His understanding is infinite."
(Psalm 147:5).
Weekly Memory Verse
And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
(I Corinthians 8:2).
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