God opens up Himself to man

In the next place let us note the reflex influence which all this exerts upon the prophet’s religious
state of mind.

The type of piety has not been changed. There is still in it the same individual, but now
thoroughly spiritualized intercourse between God and man. And yet, while the same qualitatively,
it re-emerges a thousand times intensified. The recipient of salvation lives in closer union with God
than the most ideal relationship on the basis of natural religion could possibly provide.

There is
no joy like the joy engendered by redemption. Nor is this simply due to the law of compensation.
It is true this counts for much. To estimate truly the riches of grace one must have passed through
the abjectness and poverty and despair of sin. But a far more principial cause is at work here. In
redemption God opens up Himself to man in a wholly unprecedented manner, of which the highest
religion of nature affords but the merest foretaste. One who is being saved explores and receives
more of God than unfallen man or the unfallen angels ever could. A song like this has in it a deeper
exultation than that which the Sons of God and the Morning Stars sang together for joy in the
Creator.

On this day…

• Wiki – 2025
• Christian History – 2025
• Exodus 25 – 2024
• Exodus 24 – 2024
• April 19, 2014 – 2014
• THE INITIATIVE AGAINST DESPAIR – 2009
• Genesis 25:11 – 2009
• Mark 15:23 – 2008
• compeers – 2007
• Revelation 5:12 – 2007