All people remain in darkness until Christ comes and teaches them His Father's Word with authority. That Word discloses and exposes the darkness. With that Word Christ dispels the darkness from human hearts. -- Dr. John Kleinig, Grace upon Grace, p. 239.
4 comments:
Interesting, 19 pages earlier, and about a week ago on this blog, we never make it out of the darkness: “In spiritual warfare we operate in the dark. We must learn to see with our ears, for here we depend completely on the unseen presence of Christ and His Word.” -- Dr. John Kleinig, Grace upon Grace, p. 220.
No, I love Dr.Kleinig, it’s just that I can’t make heads or tails out of what he says.
Peace and Joy!
George A. Marquart
Do you really perceive a contradiction there? We are in the dark IF WE GO BY WHAT OUR EYES SEE. We are in the light IF WE LISTEN TO WHAT GOD SAYS. His Word is light itself! "Thy Word is lamp to my feet and a light to my path!" His Word brings the light by which we "see" and can navigate through the darkness. It's just that this light shines into us through our ears, not our eyes.
Luther made a point of speaking German in a way that everyone would understand. We should do the same in English. NO, WE ARE NOT IN THE DARK IF WE GO BY WHAT OUR EYES CAN SEE – OUR EYES CANNOT SEE IF WE ARE IN THE DARK. If we want to talk about seeing with our ears and hearing with our eyes we will only confuse people. But it sounds so pious and mysterious that nobody dares argue with it.
I wrote you earlier that I constrained myself from commenting on this posting before, but now I would like you to read what I wrote, but did not send on 18 September:
Matthew 5: 14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
John 8: 12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John 12: 46 “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”
2 Corinthians 4: 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Colossians 1: 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
1 Thessalonians5: 4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
1 Peter 2: 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
My reaction to Dr. Kleinig’s comment is that it reminds me of what Max Liebermann was reported to have said in the nineteen thirties, when some SA troopers were marching under his windows: "Ich kann gar nicht so viel fressen, wie ich kotzen möchte" (I cannot possibly eat all that I want to throw up).
Peace and Joy!
George A. Marquart
It may be if people would actually listen to God's word and pay attention to it,it will open their eyes to the preaching of his Word so we can inwardly know and digest it. Just a thought. Good day Brother's
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