E.W. Bullinger wrote the following encouraging message in an attempt to
remind us, as Christians, that we need to get to know God via His Word and
in doing so trust in Him. I feel Bullinger's article does indeed offer
encouragement to Christians and instructs us as to how we can know God
better and as a result trust in Him.

May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/

---

The Christian's Greatest Need

by E.W. Bullinger

There is one thing that the Christian needs more than he needs any other
thing. One thing on which all others rest; and on which all others turn.

It is certain from the Word of God, and also from our own experience, that
"we know not what we should pray for as we ought". But "the Spirit Himself
helpeth our infirmities" (Romans 8:26). He knoweth what we should pray for.
He knoweth what we need. He maketh intercession for us and in us. He
teacheth us how to pray, and in Ephesians 1:17, we have His prayer set forth
in these words: "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
him."

This, then, must be our greatest need: A true knowledge of God.

If the Holy Spirit thus puts it before all other things, it must be because
it is more important than any other thing; yea, than all others put
together.

This, it is, that lies at the foundation of the Christian Faith; at the
threshold of Christian life.

It is the essence of all trust.

We cannot trust a person if we do not know him. At least, it is safer for us
not to do so; and as a rule we do not.

But on the other hand, when we know a person thoroughly well, we cannot help
trusting him!. No effort to trust is required when we perfectly know a
person. The difficulty then is, not to trust.

Why, then, do we not thus trust God? Is not the answer clear? It is because
we do not know Him!

Thus we see how this knowledge of God is our greatest need; the very first
step of our Christian course. Our trust will ever be in proportion to our
knowledge.
If we knew, for example, a billionth part of God's infinite wisdom, we
should see our own to be such utter folly, that we should not merely be
"willing" for His will, but we should desire it. It would be our greatest
happiness for Him to do and arrange all for us. We should say, "Lord, I am
so foolish and ignorant; I know nothing, and can do nothing; I can see only
this present moment; I know nothing of to-morrow. But Thou canst see the end
from the beginning. Thy wisdom is infinite, and thy love is infinite; for,
our Saviour and Lord could say of us to Thee, as Thy beloved Son -- "Thou
hast loved them, as thou has loved me" (John 17:23). Do, then, Thine own
will. This is my desire, the desire of my heart. This is what I long for
above 'all things.'"

This is far beyond being "willing". We may be willing for a thing, because
we cannot help it. It may be even a low form of Christian fatalism. A
Mahommedan may be thus resigned to the will his god.

But what we are speaking of is far, far beyond the modern gospel of
holiness; far in advance of merely being "willing".

Those who are in the still lower condition; not "willing," but "willing to
be made willing," do not see that this condition arises from not knowing
God; not knowing how infinite is His love, how vast is His wisdom, how
blessed and how sweet is His will. If they did but know something of this,
they would yearn for His will. It would be the one great earnest desire and
longing of their hearts for Him to do exactly what is pleasing in His own
sight, in us, and for us, and through us.

Not knowing this secret, Christians, everywhere, are striving and labouring
to be "willing" by looking at themselves; and by some definite "act of
faith" to do something of themselves. Instead of thinking of His wisdom and
His love, they are thinking of themselves and of their "surrender".

But this is labour in vain. Even if it should seem to accomplish something,
it is only like tying paper flowers on a plant. They may look natural and
fair; but they have no scent, and no life; no fruit, and no seed. It is an
artificial, fictitious attempt to produce that which, if they did but know
God, would come of itself, without an effort: yea, the effort would be to
stop or hinder the mighty power of a true knowledge of God.

The trouble with us is, if we prove our hearts to their depth, that, at the
bottom, we think we know better. We would not say it for the world, we would
hardly admit it to ourselves. But there it is; and the difficulty of being
"made willing" is the proof of it.

If we really knew Him, and believed that He knows better than we do what is
good for us, there would be no effort whatever, but only a blessed
irrepressible desire for His will.

Before we proceed further to consider some other of the practical effects of
this knowledge, let us notice the fact that there are two words in the
original for this knowledge of God, two verbs which mean to know. As these
are used some times in the very same verse, it is very important that we
should carefully distinguish that which the Holy Spirit has so especially
emphasised. There are, indeed, six Greek words which are translated to know,
but these two are the most common.

1. The one, oida, means to know without learning or effort; and refers to
what we know intuitively, or as a matter of fact or history.

2. The other, ginosko, means to get to know; by effort, or experience, or
learning.

Practical Christian living

The importance of getting to know God is our one great need. This knowledge
is not only the basis of trust in God; not only the foundation of Christian
faith; but of Christian life. Practical Christian life and walk will be in
direct proportion to our knowledge of God.

Look at Colossians 1:9,10, where we have the practical outcome of the prayer
in Ephesians 1:17. In Ephesians 1:17 we have the prayer itself. In
Colossians 1:9,10, we have it applied for our correction and instruction.
Carefully weigh the words. "For this cause, we also, since the day we heard
it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire" -- Desire what? "that ye
might be filled with the knowledge (the noun from No. 2, i.e., acquired
knowledge) of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." Why? For
what purpose? To what end? "That ye may walk worthy of the Lord unto all
pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge
of God."

Then, to walk worthy of the Lord, I must know Him? Exactly so. If I would
please Him in all things I must know what will please Him. Is this all that
is required? All that I have to do? Yes, this is all. Then I have not to
rush hither and thither; from Convention to Convention? No, I have to sit
down before God's Word, and get to know Him through that. There is no other
way of getting to know Him. And He has given us His Word, and revealed
Himself therein, on purpose that we may study it and find out what it is
that pleases Him; what it is He loves; what it is He hates; what it is He
does. To get to know His wisdom, His will, His infinite love, His almighty
power, His faithfulness, His holiness, His righteousness, His truth, His
goodness and mercy, His long-suffering, His gentleness, His care, and all
the innumerable attributes of our great and glorious God.

See how this knowledge is absolutely necessary, if we would please God.

We cannot please any of our friends unless we know what they are pleased
with. If we would make a present to one of them, we naturally think, or try
to find out, what it is he or she needs or would be pleased to have. If we
are receiving a guest, we naturally try to remember or find out what pleases
him in food or drink, in occupation or recreation. If we cannot find this
out, then we have to guess at it, and we may or may not succeed in our
effort to please. We may take the greatest trouble and pains, and yet, after
all, we may arrange for or provide the very thing which is most disliked. It
is even so with our God.

Where can we go?

How are we to find out the things that please Him? How are we to discover
the things He approves?

Only from His Word.

There, and there alone can we get to know Him. There alone shall we learn
the fullness of the Spirit's prayer for us in Ephesians 1:17; and the
blessed practical outcome of it in Colossians 1:9,10.

No man has this knowledge of God intuitively. No minister can even help in
imparting it, except in and by the ministry of that Word. His own thoughts
are valueless. Only so far as he enables us to understand that Word can he
be of any assistance to us. He may be mistaken himself, and very easily be a
hindrance instead of a help. God has revealed Himself in His written Word,
the Scriptures of truth; and in the Living Word His Son, Jesus Christ. And
it is by the Communicated Word revealed in our hearts by the Holy Ghost that
we begin thus to get to know Him, whom to know is Life Eternal.

This is the one great reason why the written Word is given to us. It is not
given merely as a book of general information, or of reference; but it is
given to make known the invisible God.

Why do we read it? Why do we open it at all? What is, or ought to be, our
object in reading it?

Do we read a portion that someone else has selected for us? Do we read that
portion because we have promised someone we would do so? Or do we open it,
and sit down before it with the one dominant object to find out God; to
discover His mind; to get to know His will.

Those who are not thus engaged make their own god out of their own thoughts
and imaginations. They have to fall back on what they think their god likes!

Thousands make their gods with their hands, out of wood, or stone, or bread.
Thousands more make him out of their own heads. But, being ignorant of God's
Word, they are alike ignorant of the God Who has there revealed Himself.

We must worship Him in spirit

See the power of this truth as it is applied to what is called "Public
Worship" or "Divine Service". How many still worship "the unknown God", and
serve themselves; and do what is pleasing in their own eyes, studying only
their own tastes! Ignorant of that great rubrick, John 4:24, "God is a
Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth"
(i.e., truly in spirit), they talk of the kind of service they prefer, and
say, "I don't like that at all"; or, "I do like that so much"; as though
"places of worship," so-called, were opened merely for persons to go in and
do what pleases themselves, forgetful of that word "must," which dominates
the whole sphere of what we call worship.

Worship "must" be only with the spirit. We cannot worship God -- who is a
Spirit -- with our eyes, by looking on at what is being done. We cannot
worship God with our noses, by smelling incense, whether ceremonially or
otherwise used. We cannot worship God with our ears, by listening to music,
however well it may be "rendered". No! worship cannot be with any of our
senses; or by all of them put together. It must be spiritual, and not
sensual. The worshippers must be spiritual worshippers, for "the Father
seeketh such to worship Him" (John 4:23).

How many of such worshippers frequent our churches and chapels? How many are
still worshipping "the unknown God" (Acts 17:23)?

Is it possible that, if the true God were known -- the great, the High and
Holy God, who dwelleth not in temples made with hands; the God who
inhabiteth eternity; the God in whose sight the very heavens are not clean,
and who chargeth His angels with folly -- is it possible, we ask, that any
who know Him could imagine, for one moment, that He "seeks" or could be
pleased with, or accept, or regard a congregation turning the Bible into "a
book of the words," and listening, for example, to a girl singing a solo,
getting as high a note as she can, and holding it out as long as she can! Is
that what The Great and Infinite God is seeking ? Is that the occupation of
the heart with Himself which He says He "must" have? No indeed! and the
greater the ignorance of God, the deeper and more degraded will become the
accompaniments of what is called "Public Worship".

A true knowledge of Christ

So far we have spoken only of a knowledge of God -- the Father. But it is
also of the greatest importance that we should have a true knowledge of
Christ.
This is the Christian's one object, as well as his greatest need.

This is set forth with remarkable clearness and force in Philippians 3. In
the ninth verse we have our standing in Christ expressed in the words
"Found in Him."

This is explained as not having our own righteousness, but that which is
through the faith of Christ; "the righteousness which is of God by faith".

Clothed in this righteousness, nothing of self is seen by God. Like the
stones in the Temple, they were covered over first with cedar-wood; and the
cedar-wood was covered over with gold. Then it is added, "there was no stone
seen". These words are not necessary either for the grammar, or for the
sense; for how could the stone be seen if thus doubly covered up? No! the
words are graciously added to emphasize the antitype, and to impress upon us
the blessed fact that, when covered with Christ's righteousness there is
nothing of self seen in our standing before God. We are already "in the
heavenlies, in Christ"; and are comely in all His comeliness, perfect in all
His perfection, accepted in all His merit, righteous as He is righteousness;
yea, holy as He is holy, and loved as He is beloved. All this is included in
those words, "found in Him".

And being thus "found in Him" for our standing, we have in verses 20, 21 our
hope; which, is to be

Like Him

in resurrection and ascension glory at His coming. Hence "we look for the
Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may
be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby
he is able to subdue all things unto himself".

This is our "blessed hope". We have referred to it here, and not in the
order in which it stands in this chapter, in order to show what it is that
lies between the two -- the beginning and the end of our Christian course.
What is it that is to fill the place between these two? What is to occupy
our hearts from the moment when we were in Christ, who is our life, to the
moment when we shall be like Christ, who shall be our glory? What is the one
object that is to ever fill our hearts and occupy our minds?

"That I May Know Him."

This is henceforth the Christian's great object. Nothing but this aim to get
to know Christ (for this is the word used here, in Philippians 3:10).

As verse 9 contained the explanation of the words "found in Him," so this
verse (10) contains the explanation of how and why we are to get to know
Christ.
We are henceforth no longer to know Him after the flesh, but to get to know
Him as risen; the head of the New Creation in resurrection (II Corinthians
5:16,17).
For this is how this knowledge is explained: "that I may get to know him and
the power of his resurrection". Not to know merely the historical fact of
his resurrection, but the "power" of it: i.e., what its wondrous power has
done for us. But how can we get to know this "power"? Ah! only by
experiencing "the fellowship of His sufferings": by learning that when He,
the Head of the Body, suffered, all the members of that Body suffered in
mysterious and blessed "fellowship with Him". Thus shall we get to know how
we were "made conformable to Him in His death". Only when we have thus
learned that we suffered when He suffered, and died when He died, can we
begin to learn how we have risen also with Christ; and "get to know the
power of His resurrection".

How few of us know what this "power" is, as it takes us out of the old
creation and sets us in the new creation, where "all things are of God" (II
Corinthians 5:17).
This then is our object, to get to know all that Christ is made unto us in
resurrection power.

How startling must these words have been as they fell upon the ears of
Greeks (for this is the first city Paul set his foot in Europe). They had
been brought up on the great motto of Solon, the wisest of the seven wise
men of Greece. His motto was supposed by them to embody in itself the
essence of all wisdom; and it consisted of only two words, which were carved
over the entrance to the schools and colleges of Greece:

"Know Thyself."

But yet, how foolish are those words. For how can one know anything of
himself by considering himself ? If he looks at others, then he can see how
different he is from them; and how much better or worse he may be than they.

But it is only when we compare ourself with Christ, who is the wisdom and
glory of God, that we learn what we really are; and how far short we come of
that glory (Romans 3:23). It is only as we see ourselves in "the Balance of
the Sanctuary," or by the side of the plumb-line of that Perfection, that we
see, and get to know, our absolutely lost and ruined condition. Hence this
new motto was thundered from heaven into the ears of those who sought to
know themselves --

"That I may get to know Him."

Yes; this is our one object. This it is that will have the mighty
transforming power over our lives. Every moment spent in seeking to know
ourselves is a moment lost: and not only lost, but used to keep us from the
one thing that alone can accomplish our object and teach us ourselves.
Trying to know ourselves, we not only fail in the attempt, but we cease to
learn Christ, which alone teaches us to know ourselves.

And yet, how many are spending their lives in this vain search? Running
hither and thither to hear this man and that man. And, being constantly
directed to this self-occupation, self-surrender, and self-examination, they
are only led into trouble; or, into a joy which lasts only while the
excitement is kept up.

Oh! to be occupied with Christ; to have Him for our object; and His
resurrection power for our lives.

This we shall have; and have increasingly as we get to know Christ.

Again. What was it that led the heathen world into all its darkness,
corruption, and sin? Just this: "they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed
the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of corruptible man"
(Romans 1:22,28).

Like people to-day who, ignorant of God as He has revealed Himself in His
Word, make their god, some with their own hands, or out of their own heads,
vainly imagining He is what they think He is, and worshipping, like the
heathen, "the unknown God," such an one as themselves.

What was it that led Israel astray and brought upon them all their sorrows
and sufferings? Isaiah opens with the Divine indictment, which gathers up in
the briefest form the one great cause which lay at the root of all:

"The ox knoweth his owner, And the ***** his master's crib; But Israel doth
not know, My People doth not consider."

See how the Lord Jesus confirms this in Luke 19:42-44, as He weeps over
Jerusalem. All is summed up in the opening and closing words:

"If thou hadst known!
even thou, at least in this thy day, the things that belong unto thy peace."
And then, turning to the reason for that judgment He adds: "Because thou
knewest not the day of thy visitation."
And what is to be the acme of Israel's glory in the day of her restoration?
Ah! then it shall come to pass that "they shall no more teach every man his
neighbour saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least
of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord" (Jeremiah 31:34).
And what shall be Creation's glory; and the peace and joy of the whole
earth? This sums up all:
"The earth shall be full of the knowledge of God,
As the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9).
And what is the secret of our being able to glory only in the Lord, and to
enjoy His blessing in this the day of our visitation? It is given in
Jeremiah 9:23,24:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Neither let the mighty man glory in his might,
Let not the rich man glory in his riches:
But let him that glorieth, glory in this,
that he understandeth and knoweth Me."

We are thus brought round, and brought back to the one great duty, which
should henceforth absorb our hearts and minds, and fill our days and years;
viz., to be instant in our study of the Word of God, which is given to us
with the one great, express, commanding purpose -- the revelation of
Himself, in order that we may

Get to Know Him.

E.W. Bullinger wrote the following encouraging message in an attempt to
remind us, as Christians, that we need to get to know God via His Word and
in doing so trust in Him. I feel Bullinger's article does indeed offer
encouragement to Christians and instructs us as to how we can know God
better and as a result trust in Him.

May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/

---

The Christian's Greatest Need
by E.W. Bullinger

There is one thing that the Christian needs more than he needs any other
thing. One thing on which all others rest; and on which all others turn.

It is certain from the Word of God, and also from our own experience, that
"we know not what we should pray for as we ought". But "the Spirit Himself
helpeth our infirmities" (Romans 8:26). He knoweth what we should pray for.
He knoweth what we need. He maketh intercession for us and in us. He
teacheth us how to pray, and in Ephesians 1:17, we have His prayer set forth
in these words: "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
him."

This, then, must be our greatest need: A true knowledge of God.

If the Holy Spirit thus puts it before all other things, it must be because
it is more important than any other thing; yea, than all others put
together.

This, it is, that lies at the foundation of the Christian Faith; at the
threshold of Christian life.

It is the essence of all trust.

We cannot trust a person if we do not know him. At least, it is safer for us
not to do so; and as a rule we do not.

But on the other hand, when we know a person thoroughly well, we cannot help
trusting him!. No effort to trust is required when we perfectly know a
person. The difficulty then is, not to trust.

Why, then, do we not thus trust God? Is not the answer clear? It is because
we do not know Him!

Thus we see how this knowledge of God is our greatest need; the very first
step of our Christian course. Our trust will ever be in proportion to our
knowledge.
If we knew, for example, a billionth part of God's infinite wisdom, we
should see our own to be such utter folly, that we should not merely be
"willing" for His will, but we should desire it. It would be our greatest
happiness for Him to do and arrange all for us. We should say, "Lord, I am
so foolish and ignorant; I know nothing, and can do nothing; I can see only
this present moment; I know nothing of to-morrow. But Thou canst see the end
from the beginning. Thy wisdom is infinite, and thy love is infinite; for,
our Saviour and Lord could say of us to Thee, as Thy beloved Son -- "Thou
hast loved them, as thou has loved me" (John 17:23). Do, then, Thine own
will. This is my desire, the desire of my heart. This is what I long for
above 'all things.'"

This is far beyond being "willing". We may be willing for a thing, because
we cannot help it. It may be even a low form of Christian fatalism. A
Mahommedan may be thus resigned to the will his god.

But what we are speaking of is far, far beyond the modern gospel of
holiness; far in advance of merely being "willing".

Those who are in the still lower condition; not "willing," but "willing to
be made willing," do not see that this condition arises from not knowing
God; not knowing how infinite is His love, how vast is His wisdom, how
blessed and how sweet is His will. If they did but know something of this,
they would yearn for His will. It would be the one great earnest desire and
longing of their hearts for Him to do exactly what is pleasing in His own
sight, in us, and for us, and through us.

Not knowing this secret, Christians, everywhere, are striving and labouring
to be "willing" by looking at themselves; and by some definite "act of
faith" to do something of themselves. Instead of thinking of His wisdom and
His love, they are thinking of themselves and of their "surrender".

But this is labour in vain. Even if it should seem to accomplish something,
it is only like tying paper flowers on a plant. They may look natural and
fair; but they have no scent, and no life; no fruit, and no seed. It is an
artificial, fictitious attempt to produce that which, if they did but know
God, would come of itself, without an effort: yea, the effort would be to
stop or hinder the mighty power of a true knowledge of God.

The trouble with us is, if we prove our hearts to their depth, that, at the
bottom, we think we know better. We would not say it for the world, we would
hardly admit it to ourselves. But there it is; and the difficulty of being
"made willing" is the proof of it.

If we really knew Him, and believed that He knows better than we do what is
good for us, there would be no effort whatever, but only a blessed
irrepressible desire for His will.

Before we proceed further to consider some other of the practical effects of
this knowledge, let us notice the fact that there are two words in the
original for this knowledge of God, two verbs which mean to know. As these
are used some times in the very same verse, it is very important that we
should carefully distinguish that which the Holy Spirit has so especially
emphasised. There are, indeed, six Greek words which are translated to know,
but these two are the most common.

1. The one, oida, means to know without learning or effort; and refers to
what we know intuitively, or as a matter of fact or history.

2. The other, ginosko, means to get to know; by effort, or experience, or
learning.

Practical Christian living

The importance of getting to know God is our one great need. This knowledge
is not only the basis of trust in God; not only the foundation of Christian
faith; but of Christian life. Practical Christian life and walk will be in
direct proportion to our knowledge of God.

Look at Colossians 1:9,10, where we have the practical outcome of the prayer
in Ephesians 1:17. In Ephesians 1:17 we have the prayer itself. In
Colossians 1:9,10, we have it applied for our correction and instruction.
Carefully weigh the words. "For this cause, we also, since the day we heard
it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire" -- Desire what? "that ye
might be filled with the knowledge (the noun from No. 2, i.e., acquired
knowledge) of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." Why? For
what purpose? To what end? "That ye may walk worthy of the Lord unto all
pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge
of God."

Then, to walk worthy of the Lord, I must know Him? Exactly so. If I would
please Him in all things I must know what will please Him. Is this all that
is required? All that I have to do? Yes, this is all. Then I have not to
rush hither and thither; from Convention to Convention? No, I have to sit
down before God's Word, and get to know Him through that. There is no other
way of getting to know Him. And He has given us His Word, and revealed
Himself therein, on purpose that we may study it and find out what it is
that pleases Him; what it is He loves; what it is He hates; what it is He
does. To get to know His wisdom, His will, His infinite love, His almighty
power, His faithfulness, His holiness, His righteousness, His truth, His
goodness and mercy, His long-suffering, His gentleness, His care, and all
the innumerable attributes of our great and glorious God.

See how this knowledge is absolutely necessary, if we would please God.

We cannot please any of our friends unless we know what they are pleased
with. If we would make a present to one of them, we naturally think, or try
to find out, what it is he or she needs or would be pleased to have. If we
are receiving a guest, we naturally try to remember or find out what pleases
him in food or drink, in occupation or recreation. If we cannot find this
out, then we have to guess at it, and we may or may not succeed in our
effort to please. We may take the greatest trouble and pains, and yet, after
all, we may arrange for or provide the very thing which is most disliked. It
is even so with our God.

Where can we go?

How are we to find out the things that please Him? How are we to discover
the things He approves?

Only from His Word.

There, and there alone can we get to know Him. There alone shall we learn
the fullness of the Spirit's prayer for us in Ephesians 1:17; and the
blessed practical outcome of it in Colossians 1:9,10.

No man has this knowledge of God intuitively. No minister can even help in
imparting it, except in and by the ministry of that Word. His own thoughts
are valueless. Only so far as he enables us to understand that Word can he
be of any assistance to us. He may be mistaken himself, and very easily be a
hindrance instead of a help. God has revealed Himself in His written Word,
the Scriptures of truth; and in the Living Word His Son, Jesus Christ. And
it is by the Communicated Word revealed in our hearts by the Holy Ghost that
we begin thus to get to know Him, whom to know is Life Eternal.

This is the one great reason why the written Word is given to us. It is not
given merely as a book of general information, or of reference; but it is
given to make known the invisible God.

Why do we read it? Why do we open it at all? What is, or ought to be, our
object in reading it?

Do we read a portion that someone else has selected for us? Do we read that
portion because we have promised someone we would do so? Or do we open it,
and sit down before it with the one dominant object to find out God; to
discover His mind; to get to know His will.

Those who are not thus engaged make their own god out of their own thoughts
and imaginations. They have to fall back on what they think their god likes!

Thousands make their gods with their hands, out of wood, or stone, or bread.
Thousands more make him out of their own heads. But, being ignorant of God's
Word, they are alike ignorant of the God Who has there revealed Himself.

We must worship Him in spirit

See the power of this truth as it is applied to what is called "Public
Worship" or "Divine Service". How many still worship "the unknown God", and
serve themselves; and do what is pleasing in their own eyes, studying only
their own tastes! Ignorant of that great rubrick, John 4:24, "God is a
Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth"
(i.e., truly in spirit), they talk of the kind of service they prefer, and
say, "I don't like that at all"; or, "I do like that so much"; as though
"places of worship," so-called, were opened merely for persons to go in and
do what pleases themselves, forgetful of that word "must," which dominates
the whole sphere of what we call worship.

Worship "must" be only with the spirit. We cannot worship God -- who is a
Spirit -- with our eyes, by looking on at what is being done. We cannot
worship God with our noses, by smelling incense, whether ceremonially or
otherwise used. We cannot worship God with our ears, by listening to music,
however well it may be "rendered". No! worship cannot be with any of our
senses; or by all of them put together. It must be spiritual, and not
sensual. The worshippers must be spiritual worshippers, for "the Father
seeketh such to worship Him" (John 4:23).

How many of such worshippers frequent our churches and chapels? How many are
still worshipping "the unknown God" (Acts 17:23)?

Is it possible that, if the true God were known -- the great, the High and
Holy God, who dwelleth not in temples made with hands; the God who
inhabiteth eternity; the God in whose sight the very heavens are not clean,
and who chargeth His angels with folly -- is it possible, we ask, that any
who know Him could imagine, for one moment, that He "seeks" or could be
pleased with, or accept, or regard a congregation turning the Bible into "a
book of the words," and listening, for example, to a girl singing a solo,
getting as high a note as she can, and holding it out as long as she can! Is
that what The Great and Infinite God is seeking ? Is that the occupation of
the heart with Himself which He says He "must" have? No indeed! and the
greater the ignorance of God, the deeper and more degraded will become the
accompaniments of what is called "Public Worship".

A true knowledge of Christ

So far we have spoken only of a knowledge of God -- the Father. But it is
also of the greatest importance that we should have a true knowledge of
Christ.
This is the Christian's one object, as well as his greatest need.

This is set forth with remarkable clearness and force in Philippians 3. In
the ninth verse we have our standing in Christ expressed in the words
"Found in Him."

This is explained as not having our own righteousness, but that which is
through the faith of Christ; "the righteousness which is of God by faith".

Clothed in this righteousness, nothing of self is seen by God. Like the
stones in the Temple, they were covered over first with cedar-wood; and the
cedar-wood was covered over with gold. Then it is added, "there was no stone
seen". These words are not necessary either for the grammar, or for the
sense; for how could the stone be seen if thus doubly covered up? No! the
words are graciously added to emphasize the antitype, and to impress upon us
the blessed fact that, when covered with Christ's righteousness there is
nothing of self seen in our standing before God. We are already "in the
heavenlies, in Christ"; and are comely in all His comeliness, perfect in all
His perfection, accepted in all His merit, righteous as He is righteousness;
yea, holy as He is holy, and loved as He is beloved. All this is included in
those words, "found in Him".

And being thus "found in Him" for our standing, we have in verses 20, 21 our
hope; which, is to be

Like Him

in resurrection and ascension glory at His coming. Hence "we look for the
Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may
be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby
he is able to subdue all things unto himself".

This is our "blessed hope". We have referred to it here, and not in the
order in which it stands in this chapter, in order to show what it is that
lies between the two -- the beginning and the end of our Christian course.
What is it that is to fill the place between these two? What is to occupy
our hearts from the moment when we were in Christ, who is our life, to the
moment when we shall be like Christ, who shall be our glory? What is the one
object that is to ever fill our hearts and occupy our minds?

"That I May Know Him."

This is henceforth the Christian's great object. Nothing but this aim to get
to know Christ (for this is the word used here, in Philippians 3:10).

As verse 9 contained the explanation of the words "found in Him," so this
verse (10) contains the explanation of how and why we are to get to know
Christ.
We are henceforth no longer to know Him after the flesh, but to get to know
Him as risen; the head of the New Creation in resurrection (II Corinthians
5:16,17).
For this is how this knowledge is explained: "that I may get to know him and
the power of his resurrection". Not to know merely the historical fact of
his resurrection, but the "power" of it: i.e., what its wondrous power has
done for us. But how can we get to know this "power"? Ah! only by
experiencing "the fellowship of His sufferings": by learning that when He,
the Head of the Body, suffered, all the members of that Body suffered in
mysterious and blessed "fellowship with Him". Thus shall we get to know how
we were "made conformable to Him in His death". Only when we have thus
learned that we suffered when He suffered, and died when He died, can we
begin to learn how we have risen also with Christ; and "get to know the
power of His resurrection".

How few of us know what this "power" is, as it takes us out of the old
creation and sets us in the new creation, where "all things are of God" (II
Corinthians 5:17).
This then is our object, to get to know all that Christ is made unto us in
resurrection power.

How startling must these words have been as they fell upon the ears of
Greeks (for this is the first city Paul set his foot in Europe). They had
been brought up on the great motto of Solon, the wisest of the seven wise
men of Greece. His motto was supposed by them to embody in itself the
essence of all wisdom; and it consisted of only two words, which were carved
over the entrance to the schools and colleges of Greece:

"Know Thyself."

But yet, how foolish are those words. For how can one know anything of
himself by considering himself ? If he looks at others, then he can see how
different he is from them; and how much better or worse he may be than they.

But it is only when we compare ourself with Christ, who is the wisdom and
glory of God, that we learn what we really are; and how far short we come of
that glory (Romans 3:23). It is only as we see ourselves in "the Balance of
the Sanctuary," or by the side of the plumb-line of that Perfection, that we
see, and get to know, our absolutely lost and ruined condition. Hence this
new motto was thundered from heaven into the ears of those who sought to
know themselves --

"That I may get to know Him."

Yes; this is our one object. This it is that will have the mighty
transforming power over our lives. Every moment spent in seeking to know
ourselves is a moment lost: and not only lost, but used to keep us from the
one thing that alone can accomplish our object and teach us ourselves.
Trying to know ourselves, we not only fail in the attempt, but we cease to
learn Christ, which alone teaches us to know ourselves.

And yet, how many are spending their lives in this vain search? Running
hither and thither to hear this man and that man. And, being constantly
directed to this self-occupation, self-surrender, and self-examination, they
are only led into trouble; or, into a joy which lasts only while the
excitement is kept up.

Oh! to be occupied with Christ; to have Him for our object; and His
resurrection power for our lives.

This we shall have; and have increasingly as we get to know Christ.

Again. What was it that led the heathen world into all its darkness,
corruption, and sin? Just this: "they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed
the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of corruptible man"
(Romans 1:22,28).

Like people to-day who, ignorant of God as He has revealed Himself in His
Word, make their god, some with their own hands, or out of their own heads,
vainly imagining He is what they think He is, and worshipping, like the
heathen, "the unknown God," such an one as themselves.

What was it that led Israel astray and brought upon them all their sorrows
and sufferings? Isaiah opens with the Divine indictment, which gathers up in
the briefest form the one great cause which lay at the root of all:

"The ox knoweth his owner, And the ***** his master's crib; But Israel doth
not know, My People doth not consider."

See how the Lord Jesus confirms this in Luke 19:42-44, as He weeps over
Jerusalem. All is summed up in the opening and closing words:

"If thou hadst known!
even thou, at least in this thy day, the things that belong unto thy peace."
And then, turning to the reason for that judgment He adds: "Because thou
knewest not the day of thy visitation."
And what is to be the acme of Israel's glory in the day of her restoration?
Ah! then it shall come to pass that "they shall no more teach every man his
neighbour saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least
of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord" (Jeremiah 31:34).
And what shall be Creation's glory; and the peace and joy of the whole
earth? This sums up all:
"The earth shall be full of the knowledge of God,
As the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9).
And what is the secret of our being able to glory only in the Lord, and to
enjoy His blessing in this the day of our visitation? It is given in
Jeremiah 9:23,24:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Neither let the mighty man glory in his might,
Let not the rich man glory in his riches:
But let him that glorieth, glory in this,
that he understandeth and knoweth Me."

We are thus brought round, and brought back to the one great duty, which
should henceforth absorb our hearts and minds, and fill our days and years;
viz., to be instant in our study of the Word of God, which is given to us
with the one great, express, commanding purpose -- the revelation of
Himself, in order that we may

Get to Know Him.

E.W. Bullinger wrote the following encouraging message in an attempt to
remind us, as Christians, that we need to get to know God via His Word and
in doing so trust in Him. I feel Bullinger's article does indeed offer
encouragement to Christians and instructs us as to how we can know God
better and as a result trust in Him.

May God bless,
Carl

my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/

---

The Christian's Greatest Need
by E.W. Bullinger

There is one thing that the Christian needs more than he needs any other
thing. One thing on which all others rest; and on which all others turn.

It is certain from the Word of God, and also from our own experience, that
"we know not what we should pray for as we ought". But "the Spirit Himself
helpeth our infirmities" (Romans 8:26). He knoweth what we should pray for.
He knoweth what we need. He maketh intercession for us and in us. He
teacheth us how to pray, and in Ephesians 1:17, we have His prayer set forth
in these words: "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
him."

This, then, must be our greatest need: A true knowledge of God.

If the Holy Spirit thus puts it before all other things, it must be because
it is more important than any other thing; yea, than all others put
together.

This, it is, that lies at the foundation of the Christian Faith; at the
threshold of Christian life.

It is the essence of all trust.

We cannot trust a person if we do not know him. At least, it is safer for us
not to do so; and as a rule we do not.

But on the other hand, when we know a person thoroughly well, we cannot help
trusting him!. No effort to trust is required when we perfectly know a
person. The difficulty then is, not to trust.

Why, then, do we not thus trust God? Is not the answer clear? It is because
we do not know Him!

Thus we see how this knowledge of God is our greatest need; the very first
step of our Christian course. Our trust will ever be in proportion to our
knowledge.
If we knew, for example, a billionth part of God's infinite wisdom, we
should see our own to be such utter folly, that we should not merely be
"willing" for His will, but we should desire it. It would be our greatest
happiness for Him to do and arrange all for us. We should say, "Lord, I am
so foolish and ignorant; I know nothing, and can do nothing; I can see only
this present moment; I know nothing of to-morrow. But Thou canst see the end
from the beginning. Thy wisdom is infinite, and thy love is infinite; for,
our Saviour and Lord could say of us to Thee, as Thy beloved Son -- "Thou
hast loved them, as thou has loved me" (John 17:23). Do, then, Thine own
will. This is my desire, the desire of my heart. This is what I long for
above 'all things.'"

This is far beyond being "willing". We may be willing for a thing, because
we cannot help it. It may be even a low form of Christian fatalism. A
Mahommedan may be thus resigned to the will his god.

But what we are speaking of is far, far beyond the modern gospel of
holiness; far in advance of merely being "willing".

Those who are in the still lower condition; not "willing," but "willing to
be made willing," do not see that this condition arises from not knowing
God; not knowing how infinite is His love, how vast is His wisdom, how
blessed and how sweet is His will. If they did but know something of this,
they would yearn for His will. It would be the one great earnest desire and
longing of their hearts for Him to do exactly what is pleasing in His own
sight, in us, and for us, and through us.

Not knowing this secret, Christians, everywhere, are striving and labouring
to be "willing" by looking at themselves; and by some definite "act of
faith" to do something of themselves. Instead of thinking of His wisdom and
His love, they are thinking of themselves and of their "surrender".

But this is labour in vain. Even if it should seem to accomplish something,
it is only like tying paper flowers on a plant. They may look natural and
fair; but they have no scent, and no life; no fruit, and no seed. It is an
artificial, fictitious attempt to produce that which, if they did but know
God, would come of itself, without an effort: yea, the effort would be to
stop or hinder the mighty power of a true knowledge of God.

The trouble with us is, if we prove our hearts to their depth, that, at the
bottom, we think we know better. We would not say it for the world, we would
hardly admit it to ourselves. But there it is; and the difficulty of being
"made willing" is the proof of it.

If we really knew Him, and believed that He knows better than we do what is
good for us, there would be no effort whatever, but only a blessed
irrepressible desire for His will.

Before we proceed further to consider some other of the practical effects of
this knowledge, let us notice the fact that there are two words in the
original for this knowledge of God, two verbs which mean to know. As these
are used some times in the very same verse, it is very important that we
should carefully distinguish that which the Holy Spirit has so especially
emphasised. There are, indeed, six Greek words which are translated to know,
but these two are the most common.

1. The one, oida, means to know without learning or effort; and refers to
what we know intuitively, or as a matter of fact or history.

2. The other, ginosko, means to get to know; by effort, or experience, or
learning.

Practical Christian living

The importance of getting to know God is our one great need. This knowledge
is not only the basis of trust in God; not only the foundation of Christian
faith; but of Christian life. Practical Christian life and walk will be in
direct proportion to our knowledge of God.

Look at Colossians 1:9,10, where we have the practical outcome of the prayer
in Ephesians 1:17. In Ephesians 1:17 we have the prayer itself. In
Colossians 1:9,10, we have it applied for our correction and instruction.
Carefully weigh the words. "For this cause, we also, since the day we heard
it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire" -- Desire what? "that ye
might be filled with the knowledge (the noun from No. 2, i.e., acquired
knowledge) of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." Why? For
what purpose? To what end? "That ye may walk worthy of the Lord unto all
pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge
of God."

Then, to walk worthy of the Lord, I must know Him? Exactly so. If I would
please Him in all things I must know what will please Him. Is this all that
is required? All that I have to do? Yes, this is all. Then I have not to
rush hither and thither; from Convention to Convention? No, I have to sit
down before God's Word, and get to know Him through that. There is no other
way of getting to know Him. And He has given us His Word, and revealed
Himself therein, on purpose that we may study it and find out what it is
that pleases Him; what it is He loves; what it is He hates; what it is He
does. To get to know His wisdom, His will, His infinite love, His almighty
power, His faithfulness, His holiness, His righteousness, His truth, His
goodness and mercy, His long-suffering, His gentleness, His care, and all
the innumerable attributes of our great and glorious God.

See how this knowledge is absolutely necessary, if we would please God.

We cannot please any of our friends unless we know what they are pleased
with. If we would make a present to one of them, we naturally think, or try
to find out, what it is he or she needs or would be pleased to have. If we
are receiving a guest, we naturally try to remember or find out what pleases
him in food or drink, in occupation or recreation. If we cannot find this
out, then we have to guess at it, and we may or may not succeed in our
effort to please. We may take the greatest trouble and pains, and yet, after
all, we may arrange for or provide the very thing which is most disliked. It
is even so with our God.

Where can we go?

How are we to find out the things that please Him? How are we to discover
the things He approves?

Only from His Word.

There, and there alone can we get to know Him. There alone shall we learn
the fullness of the Spirit's prayer for us in Ephesians 1:17; and the
blessed practical outcome of it in Colossians 1:9,10.

No man has this knowledge of God intuitively. No minister can even help in
imparting it, except in and by the ministry of that Word. His own thoughts
are valueless. Only so far as he enables us to understand that Word can he
be of any assistance to us. He may be mistaken himself, and very easily be a
hindrance instead of a help. God has revealed Himself in His written Word,
the Scriptures of truth; and in the Living Word His Son, Jesus Christ. And
it is by the Communicated Word revealed in our hearts by the Holy Ghost that
we begin thus to get to know Him, whom to know is Life Eternal.

This is the one great reason why the written Word is given to us. It is not
given merely as a book of general information, or of reference; but it is
given to make known the invisible God.

Why do we read it? Why do we open it at all? What is, or ought to be, our
object in reading it?

Do we read a portion that someone else has selected for us? Do we read that
portion because we have promised someone we would do so? Or do we open it,
and sit down before it with the one dominant object to find out God; to
discover His mind; to get to know His will.

Those who are not thus engaged make their own god out of their own thoughts
and imaginations. They have to fall back on what they think their god likes!

Thousands make their gods with their hands, out of wood, or stone, or bread.
Thousands more make him out of their own heads. But, being ignorant of God's
Word, they are alike ignorant of the God Who has there revealed Himself.

We must worship Him in spirit

See the power of this truth as it is applied to what is called "Public
Worship" or "Divine Service". How many still worship "the unknown God", and
serve themselves; and do what is pleasing in their own eyes, studying only
their own tastes! Ignorant of that great rubrick, John 4:24, "God is a
Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth"
(i.e., truly in spirit), they talk of the kind of service they prefer, and
say, "I don't like that at all"; or, "I do like that so much"; as though
"places of worship," so-called, were opened merely for persons to go in and
do what pleases themselves, forgetful of that word "must," which dominates
the whole sphere of what we call worship.

Worship "must" be only with the spirit. We cannot worship God -- who is a
Spirit -- with our eyes, by looking on at what is being done. We cannot
worship God with our noses, by smelling incense, whether ceremonially or
otherwise used. We cannot worship God with our ears, by listening to music,
however well it may be "rendered". No! worship cannot be with any of our
senses; or by all of them put together. It must be spiritual, and not
sensual. The worshippers must be spiritual worshippers, for "the Father
seeketh such to worship Him" (John 4:23).

How many of such worshippers frequent our churches and chapels? How many are
still worshipping "the unknown God" (Acts 17:23)?

Is it possible that, if the true God were known -- the great, the High and
Holy God, who dwelleth not in temples made with hands; the God who
inhabiteth eternity; the God in whose sight the very heavens are not clean,
and who chargeth His angels with folly -- is it possible, we ask, that any
who know Him could imagine, for one moment, that He "seeks" or could be
pleased with, or accept, or regard a congregation turning the Bible into "a
book of the words," and listening, for example, to a girl singing a solo,
getting as high a note as she can, and holding it out as long as she can! Is
that what The Great and Infinite God is seeking ? Is that the occupation of
the heart with Himself which He says He "must" have? No indeed! and the
greater the ignorance of God, the deeper and more degraded will become the
accompaniments of what is called "Public Worship".

A true knowledge of Christ

So far we have spoken only of a knowledge of God -- the Father. But it is
also of the greatest importance that we should have a true knowledge of
Christ.
This is the Christian's one object, as well as his greatest need.

This is set forth with remarkable clearness and force in Philippians 3. In
the ninth verse we have our standing in Christ expressed in the words
"Found in Him."

This is explained as not having our own righteousness, but that which is
through the faith of Christ; "the righteousness which is of God by faith".

Clothed in this righteousness, nothing of self is seen by God. Like the
stones in the Temple, they were covered over first with cedar-wood; and the
cedar-wood was covered over with gold. Then it is added, "there was no stone
seen". These words are not necessary either for the grammar, or for the
sense; for how could the stone be seen if thus doubly covered up? No! the
words are graciously added to emphasize the antitype, and to impress upon us
the blessed fact that, when covered with Christ's righteousness there is
nothing of self seen in our standing before God. We are already "in the
heavenlies, in Christ"; and are comely in all His comeliness, perfect in all
His perfection, accepted in all His merit, righteous as He is righteousness;
yea, holy as He is holy, and loved as He is beloved. All this is included in
those words, "found in Him".

And being thus "found in Him" for our standing, we have in verses 20, 21 our
hope; which, is to be

Like Him

in resurrection and ascension glory at His coming. Hence "we look for the
Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may
be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby
he is able to subdue all things unto himself".

This is our "blessed hope". We have referred to it here, and not in the
order in which it stands in this chapter, in order to show what it is that
lies between the two -- the beginning and the end of our Christian course.
What is it that is to fill the place between these two? What is to occupy
our hearts from the moment when we were in Christ, who is our life, to the
moment when we shall be like Christ, who shall be our glory? What is the one
object that is to ever fill our hearts and occupy our minds?

"That I May Know Him."

This is henceforth the Christian's great object. Nothing but this aim to get
to know Christ (for this is the word used here, in Philippians 3:10).

As verse 9 contained the explanation of the words "found in Him," so this
verse (10) contains the explanation of how and why we are to get to know
Christ.
We are henceforth no longer to know Him after the flesh, but to get to know
Him as risen; the head of the New Creation in resurrection (II Corinthians
5:16,17).
For this is how this knowledge is explained: "that I may get to know him and
the power of his resurrection". Not to know merely the historical fact of
his resurrection, but the "power" of it: i.e., what its wondrous power has
done for us. But how can we get to know this "power"? Ah! only by
experiencing "the fellowship of His sufferings": by learning that when He,
the Head of the Body, suffered, all the members of that Body suffered in
mysterious and blessed "fellowship with Him". Thus shall we get to know how
we were "made conformable to Him in His death". Only when we have thus
learned that we suffered when He suffered, and died when He died, can we
begin to learn how we have risen also with Christ; and "get to know the
power of His resurrection".

How few of us know what this "power" is, as it takes us out of the old
creation and sets us in the new creation, where "all things are of God" (II
Corinthians 5:17).
This then is our object, to get to know all that Christ is made unto us in
resurrection power.

How startling must these words have been as they fell upon the ears of
Greeks (for this is the first city Paul set his foot in Europe). They had
been brought up on the great motto of Solon, the wisest of the seven wise
men of Greece. His motto was supposed by them to embody in itself the
essence of all wisdom; and it consisted of only two words, which were carved
over the entrance to the schools and colleges of Greece:

"Know Thyself."

But yet, how foolish are those words. For how can one know anything of
himself by considering himself ? If he looks at others, then he can see how
different he is from them; and how much better or worse he may