The Signs of the Times
June 9, 1890
“He that Hath Seen Me Hath Seen the Father”
Through Jesus, the Son of God, the Father is more fully revealed to the world. Jesus said to his disciples: “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also; and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” The souls of thousands are crying out today, “Show us the Father, and we will be satisfied. We cannot claim God as our Father until we see him.” Jesus says to every such soul, as he said to Philip: “‘Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me?’ Have you seen my works, have you listened to my teachings, have you witnessed the miracles that I have wrought in my Father's name, and yet have you not understood the nature of God? I have prayed with you and for you, and yet can you not comprehend that I am the way, the truth, and the life, and that in my life I have unfolded to you the character of my Father? I am the brightness of my Father's glory, I am the express image of his person. ‘Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself; but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me for the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.’” ST June 9, 1890, par. 1
The time had come for Jesus to stand in contradiction to the work of Satan, to rebuke and oppose his power. At the beginning of his ministry, John was baptizing in the Jordan, and Christ came to him to receive the baptismal rite. As man's example he took the step in conversion requisite for the repenting, believing sinner; and the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him, and lo, a voice from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” He was consecrated to his office by God himself. He was anointed by the Spirit, invested with the authority, and endowed with the attributes, of God; and his mission was to reveal the Father to the world. ST June 9, 1890, par. 2
As Christ was to reveal the Father, so those who believe in Jesus are to reveal Christ to the world in spirit and character; they are to be good, and to do good. Wherever Jesus went, he taught his disciples concerning the kingdom of God; he turned every event into an occasion of usefulness, and his followers are to do the same. ST June 9, 1890, par. 3
After the ascension of Christ, his disciples were left to carry forward the work which he had been doing. They were to be the instruments through which the Lord should speak, and many were to believe on their word, and engage in the work that Jesus had done when he was upon earth. God's appointed agents are to study carefully the lessons which Christ taught his disciples. They are to contemplate his precious instruction, and to imitate the holy characteristics of his teachings; if they fail to do this, they fail to represent Christ as he represented the Father. There is need of fervent and frequent prayer that we may understand the import of his instruction, and carry forward the work he has given us to do. We are to bear in mind that it is only a small proportion of what Jesus taught and did that has been recorded. ST June 9, 1890, par. 4
That the disciples of Christ might be prepared for the great work which they were to do, Jesus had instructed them to tarry in Jerusalem until they should be endowed with power from on high. On the day of Pentecost, as they were assembled together, and with one accord were seeking for the fulfillment of his promise, the Spirit of God descended, and the hearts of those who believed were filled with the Holy Ghost. The most signal evidence of the power of God was manifested, and thousands were converted in a day. Our Saviour has provided that those who go forth to fulfill his commission of preaching the gospel to the world, shall not go without the divine unction. He has said, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” If men would come to God and make an entire surrender to him in full assurance of faith, they would have grace to do the great work committed to them. ST June 9, 1890, par. 5
When Moses was called out to lead the children of Israel, he prayed earnestly to the Lord, and said: “See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people; and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight; and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” ST June 9, 1890, par. 6
The Lord did not rebuke Moses as presumptuous because he asked greater and greater favors at his hand. Every laborer in the cause of God should have firm, earnest faith and determined purpose, that he may know that he has the favor and presence of God with him. Co-workers with God may obtain all that they ask for if they will but seek the Lord with faith. In the time of Christ, many of his disciples remained ignorant of the very thing that it was their privilege to know. Jesus sought to teach them of spiritual things. He reproached his disciples because of their dullness of comprehension. If it had been impossible for them to comprehend the things he uttered, he would not thus have reproved them. They might have exerted their mental powers to a greater extent, and stimulated their souls, by prayer and faith, and so have been enabled to understand the mysteries of godliness. Jesus saw that they did not lay hold of the real meaning of the great truths that he presented, and he compassionately promised that the Holy Spirit should recall these sayings to their minds, and revive in their remembrance many of the truths which they had lost. He tried to impress upon them the fact that he had opened before them great truths, the value of which they had failed to comprehend. After his resurrection, when he opened to them the scriptures concerning himself, he said unto them, “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you.... Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures.” Although Christ had been with them, and they had heard his exposition of the prophecies, they had failed to comprehend the great plan of the atonement, and they needed the power of the Spirit of God to make plain to their minds its deep significance. ST June 9, 1890, par. 7
When the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples of Christ, they saw their Saviour in a light in which they had never seen him before. Gladness and peace came to their souls. Jesus had told them what would be the result of the operation of the Holy Spirit. He had said. “He shall glorify me.” Through the agency of the Holy Spirit, the soul is sanctified by obedience to the truth, and Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” He unfolded to man the important lesson that the sum of all science is to be found in the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. This knowledge can be incorporated into everyone's experience. The Scriptures declare, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” ST June 9, 1890, par. 8
The knowledge of God and Christ lies at the foundation of all knowledge. Through the study of the Bible, moral power is developed; and while the mind is put to the task of comprehending its truths, the intellect expands; as the image of Christ, the Author of all truth, brightens to the vision, the understanding becomes enlarged to comprehend more fully the elevated character of the standard of perfection. Those who study the Bible in the right manner, drink from a fountain which is inexhaustible. The teaching of Christ is simple, and yet the greatest and best disciplined minds are charmed with his profound and comprehensive utterances. In all his lessons, Jesus presented to men the worthlessness of ceremonial obedience. He sought to impress men with the spirituality of the law, unveiling its vital principles, and making plain its eternal obligations. The righteousness of the law was presented to the world in the character of Christ, and the holy, benevolent, and paternal attributes of God were revealed in his dealings with mankind. He explained the solemn relation which existed between man and God, between man and his fellow-man. He taught the necessity of prayer, repentance, faith, virtue, and perfection of character. ST June 9, 1890, par. 9
Through Christ, moral power is brought to man that will change the entire affections, and enable man to work with a will for the cause of God. Where all the power of mind and body was before concentrated to work the works of evil, by the Spirit of God a revolution is brought about. The Holy Spirit enlightens, renews, and sanctifies the soul. Angels behold with inexpressible rapture the results of the working of the Holy Spirit in man. By the revelation of the attractive loveliness of Christ, by the knowledge of his love expressed to us while we were yet sinners, the stubborn heart is melted and subdued, and the sinner is transformed and becomes a child of God. Love is the agency which God uses to expel sin from the human soul. By it he changes pride into humility, enmity and unbelief into love and faith. He does not employ compulsory measures; Jesus is revealed to the soul, and if man will look in faith to the Lamb of God, he will live. ST June 9, 1890, par. 10
Jesus has given this invitation, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” In coming to Jesus, we reveal our faith. The law condemns the sinner, and by this condemnation he is led to see the necessity of a Saviour. He seeks refuge in Jesus, and the Son is glorified and exalted as the Redeemer of the world; he is the sinner's substitute and surety. ST June 9, 1890, par. 11
No man can keep the law of God apart from Christ, and God will not accept his unaided efforts. The nature of man is in opposition to the divine will, depraved, deformed, and wholly unlike the character of God expressed in his law. Man is accepted through the righteousness of Christ, through obedience to God's law. God imputes beauty, excellence, and perfection to man through the merits of his Son, and thus places the highest honor upon Christ by making him the pattern by which he works to fashion the character of all believers. Christ is presented to men that they may catch his temper, his perfection; and as the model is complete and perfect in every part, so, as man is conformed to the image of Christ, he is made complete in him; for aside from Christ there never can be righteousness in the human heart. ST June 9, 1890, par. 12
When the Spirit was poured out from on high, the church was flooded with light, but Christ was that light; the church was filled with joy, but Christ was the subject of that joy. When the Spirit is poured upon his people in this day, Christ's name will be upon every tongue, his love will fill every soul; and when the heart embraces Jesus, it will embrace God; for all the fullness of God dwells in Christ. When the beams of Christ's righteousness shine upon the soul, joy, adoration, and glory will be woven with the experience. ST June 9, 1890, par. 13