There are two things of which the world is totally ignorant. One is the fact of sin, and the other, the fact of God's holiness. These are spiritual truths, and being spiritually discerned, they become known only by the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. When this occurs, progress in all Christian truth becomes simple and steady.
While leafing idly through a student's reference book, I was struck by the inscription on the flyleaf. It read, "As long as you have any doubts whatsoever about the 'meaning of life' or the 'destiny of man' you can hold only opinions, never `truth,' - and you can never brand another man's opinions as 'false.' Be true to your own ideals, and be kind to those who differ with you." Many people, especially young people, are coming to grips for the first time with the world of ideas, ideals, opinions, and "comparative" religions, and think in line with this inscription because they are not possessed by the great certainties that may be ours in Christ.
Great embarrassment can arise if you include yourself in a "we" that someone else has used for a group that has no place for you. "We are going to drive to California," someone might say, but when you get into the car you will be told that you were not included and that there is no place in the plans for you.
Children learn early in life the rights of property. "That is mine," and "That is yours," are words which in every nursery must be well understood. Many lessons can be learned from knowing that certain things belong to us and that we must care for them if we would keep them for proper use.
At the time of the tercentenary of the death of George Herbert, a literary critic wrote of this great Christian poet: "As his experience develops, he realizes increasingly that the more we love the truth, the less inclined we are to obscure or decorate her features." This is the path of every true child of God. As our experience develops, we realize that God uses the truth alone as the instrument of regeneration (1 Peter 1:23). It is the truth by which we grow (I Peter 2:2), and truth is the means of our spiritual progress (John 17:17).
