This opening is an autobiographical sketch of MacDonald himself. For in his revelation, he sees the Father filling everything and has not yet closed his heart and imagination. He has not yet learned to divide, divide between God and nature, providence and grace, love and benevolence.
For the unimaginative disciple, all revelation had ceased. The Truth was now buried in the Bible, being only unearthed with difficulty. The examination of its decayed form being re-united into a ridged skeleton of mental and legal creations. God’s love being limited by His other so-called “perfections” of being.
The Bible nowhere claims to be the “Word,” “. . . the Way, the Truth and the Life.” Sad, indeed, would this whole life be if the Bible had told us everything God meant for us to know and believe. In this has the Bible been significantly wronged. It leads us to Jesus, the inexhaustible ever-unfolding Revelation of God the Father! Christianity is not knowing about God. It is knowing God!
The Holy Spirit is who knows and reveals the heart of God, giving us His very mind. The great heresy of the church today is unbelief in this Spirit. So, if we have ever received and experienced the mind of Christ, we know that the Bible has done its work and completed its task. Therefore, we move on and live in the “Word” that abides in us forever! The sole purpose of the Bible is to reveal Jesus in us! That through Him, we would come to know His Father and our Father, His God and our God, until we know Him as our Father! This Fatherhood is but a step towards the Life of the Trinity for those who can receive it.
The real danger here is placing Faith and Hope in SomeThing rather than risk trusting in SomeOne! What would I think of my child if I discovered that he limited his faith and hope in Me to just a few promises he heard Me say? A theology that confines itself to the revealed promises of God. This faith seems to me insufficient both in character and trust found in my child.
They try to believe based only on the truth of His word as a contract. But the nature of His being they do not understand. In His promise, they persuade themselves they put faith. But in Himself alone, they do not trust, for they do not know Him! It would be best if you came out of the legal, contractual bondage, to which you give the name grace, for there is little that is gracious in it.
Our God is Too Small! Will we not find You more than our faith can believe? One day, we will laugh at ourselves, that we looked so little to You. Thank God that our little faith in You does not limit Your giving and faithfulness.
Faith believes in God Himself! Can we not believe in God Himself?
Will God find Faith in the Earth? The higher faith is so far beyond what we can know, but not beyond Who we can know! We know in Whom we have believed and look for more in our hearts than our imaginations can conceive. Will God’s thoughts be less than our thoughts? His giving only by our asking? His creation limited by our imaginations? No! We have only the faith of ignorant but hopeful children. The children who know they do not know, but know that You do!
See the links below for other articles connected to this summary:
Sermon Quotes – from Original Version
A Big God – Introductory Blog
Covenant of Faith – Second Blog
The Higher Faith – Sermon Paraphrase