Chapter 5

Oh Taste and See!

I. Experience is Knowledge

¢ How shall we know for ourselves God's goodness and His love? The psalmist tells us--not, hear and know, read and know, or believe and know; but--"Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8). Instead of relying upon the word of another, taste for yourself. Experience is knowledge derived from experiment. Experimental religion is what is needed now. "Taste and see that the Lord is good." {AG 252.5}

¢ God invites us to prove for ourselves the reality of His Word, the truth of His promises. He bids us “taste and see that the Lord is good.” Psalm 34:8. . . . {CSA 47.3}

¢ Some--yes, a large number--have a theoretical knowledge of religious truth, but have never felt the renewing power of divine grace upon their own hearts. . . . They believe in the wrath of God, but put forth no earnest efforts to escape it. They believe in heaven, but make no sacrifice to obtain it. . . . They know a remedy for sin, but do not use it. They know the right, but have no relish for it. All their knowledge will but increase their condemnation. They have never tasted and learned by experience that the Lord is good. {Mar 74.3}

A. Influence of Association

¢ By personal contact and association, Christ trained them for His service. Day by day they walked and talked with Him, hearing His words of cheer to the weary and heavy-laden, and seeing the manifestation of His power in behalf of the sick and the afflicted. Sometimes He taught them, sitting among them on the mountainside; sometimes beside the sea or walking by the way, He revealed the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Wherever hearts were open to receive the divine message, He unfolded the truths of the way of salvation. He did not command the disciples to do this or that, but said, "Follow Me." On His journeys through country and cities, He took them with Him, that they might see how He taught the people. They traveled with Him from place to place. They shared His frugal fare, and like Him were sometimes hungry and often weary. On the crowded streets, by the lakeside, in the lonely desert, they were with Him. They saw Him in every phase of life. {AA 17.2}

¢ Every association we form, however limited, exerts some influence upon us. The extent to which we yield to that influence will be determined by the degree of intimacy, the constancy of the intercourse, and our love and veneration for the one with whom we associate. Thus by acquaintance and association with Christ we may become like Him, the one faultless Example. {Mar 74.5}

¢ Communion with Christ--how unspeakably precious! Such communion it is our privilege to enjoy if we will seek it, if we will make any sacrifice to secure it. {Mar 74.6}

¢ So everyone may be able, through his own experience, to "set his seal to this, that God is true." John 3:33, A.R.V. . . . He can testify: "I needed help, and I found it in Jesus. Every want was supplied, the hunger of my soul was satisfied. . . . I believe in Jesus because He is to me a divine Saviour. I believe the Bible because I have found it to be the voice of God to my soul." {Mar 74.7}

B. Citizens of Heaven

¢ Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. Ephesians 2:19. {Mar 75.1}

¢ Will you have a stinted Christian growth, or will you make healthy progress in the divine life? Where there is spiritual health there is growth. The child of God grows up to the full stature of a man or woman in Christ. There is no limit to his improvement. . . . {Mar 75.4}

¢ Some who ought to be strong and established in Christ are as babes in understanding and experimental knowledge of the workings of the Spirit of God. After years of experience they are able to comprehend only the first principles of that grand system of faith and doctrine that constitutes the Christian religion. They do not comprehend that perfection of character which will receive the commendation: "Well done." . . . {Mar 75.5}

C. Victories to Gain

¢ We have great victories to gain, and a heaven to lose if we do not gain them. The carnal heart must be crucified; for its tendency is to moral corruption, and the end thereof is death. . . . Pray that the mighty energies of the Holy Spirit . . . may fall like an electric shock on the palsy-stricken soul, causing every nerve to thrill with new life, restoring the whole man from his dead, earthly, sensual state to spiritual soundness. You will thus become partakers of the divine nature, . . . and in your souls will be reflected the image of Him by whose stripes you are healed. {Mar 75.6}

¢ Every means of grace should be diligently improved that the love of God may abound in the soul more and more, "that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness." Your Christian life must take on vigorous and stalwart forms. You can attain to the high standard set before you in the Scriptures, and you must if you would be children of God. You cannot stand still; you must either advance or retrograde. . . . {Mar 75.3}

D. Promises in the Bible: All can See

¢ “Having eyes,, do you not see?” {Mark 8:18}

The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great [is] that darkness! {Mat. 6:22, 23}

Many passages in the Holy Scriptures state that all believers can and should have their spiritual eyes and ears open and functioning. We sometimes forget clear references to spiritual sight because we have been told that seeing in the spirit is not our gift. But let’s us have a quick overview of spiritual eyes operational.

1. Ought to Be Teachers – Hebrews 5:12-14

¢ For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

¢ For every one that useth milk [is] unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

¢ But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

¢ Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. Without spiritual discernment you will be unable to see the claims of God upon me, or to realize my obligations to the Master whom I serve; therefore you will feel that I neglect you for religious duties. You will not be happy; you will be jealous on account of the affections which I give to God, and I shall be alone in my religious belief. When your views shall change, when your heart shall respond to the claims of God, and you shall learn to love my Saviour, then our relationship may be renewed." {AH 67.4}

¢ Need of Mature Judgment. Maturity of judgment will give you much better discernment and power of discrimination to know the truth.

2. God will give the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding – Ephesians 1:15-18

¢ Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

¢ Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

¢ 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:

¢ The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

¢ “But the mind must first be made adaptable to the nature of the truth to be investigated. The eyes of the understanding must be enlightened, and heart and mind brought into harmony with God, who is truth. He who beholds Jesus with the eye of faith sees no glory in himself; for the glory of the Redeemer is reflected into the mind and heart… Perpetually looking unto Jesus, the human is assimilated by the divine. The believer is changed into his likeness. {RH, February 18, 1896 par. 11}

3. God will intervene and protect His Servants – 2 Kings 6:15-17

¢ And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, a host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

¢ And he answered, Fear not: for they that [be] with us [are] more than they that [be] with them.

¢ And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain [was] full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

¢ Those who are spiritually blind, claim to be able to lead the blind; but they have closed their eyes to the light which has been graciously given them of God to show them the way to heaven, and in place of traveling the royal path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in, they follow another leader, even Satan. {ST, November 6, 1893 par. 3}

4. Tried in the Fire: Faith and Love – Revelation 3:17-18

¢ Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

¢ I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

¢ The True Witness counsels us to buy of Him gold tried in the fire, white raiment, and eyesalve. The gold here recommended as having been tried in the fire is faith and love. It makes the heart rich; for it has been purged until it is pure, and the more it is tested the more brilliant is its luster. The white raiment is purity of character, the righteousness of Christ imparted to the sinner. This is indeed a garment of heavenly texture, that can be bought only of Christ for a life of willing obedience. The eyesalve is that wisdom and grace which enables us to discern between the evil and the good, and to detect sin under any guise. God has given His church eyes which He requires them to anoint with wisdom, that they may see clearly; but many would put out the eyes of the church if they could; for they would not have their deeds come to the light, lest they should be reproved. The divine eyesalve will impart clearness to the understanding. Christ is the depositary of all graces. He says: "Buy of Me." {4T 88.2}

5. God’s Spirit will dwell and anoint us – Luke 4:18

¢ The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

¢ This was the work He commissioned His disciples to do. "Ye are the light of the world," He said. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:14, 16. {COL 416.2}

¢ The Lord's anointing was upon Christ. "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me," he declared, "because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God: to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified." {SpM 57.3}

6. Recognition of one’s own Life Standing – Matthew 7:1-5

¢ Judge not, that ye be not judged.

¢ For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

¢ And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

¢ Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye?

¢ Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

¢ The sin that leads to the most unhappy results is the cold, critical, unforgiving spirit that characterizes Pharisaism. When the religious experience is devoid of love, Jesus is not there; the sunshine of His presence is not there. . . . There may be a wonderful keenness of perception to discover the defects of others; but to everyone who indulges this spirit, Jesus says, "Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye" (Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 125, 126).

II. Growing in Christ – Prophetic Spirit

A. Grow and Operate in Spiritual Light – 1 John 2:9-11

¢ He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

¢ He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

¢ But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

¢ God’s desire is for every person to operate in spiritual sight. There is so much more available to us, and we must remain open to finding new truth in the word of God. The Old Testament prophets operated with God’s sight; Jesus operated with God’s sight; the disciples operated with God’s sight; and God wants us to operate with His sight. See 2Kings 6:13-17; Daniel 10:4-7, 8-11; Numbers 22:21-27, 28-33; John 5:19, 8:28; Rev. 1:9-18, 4:1.

¢ God designed that man should be constantly improving, daily reaching a higher point in the scale of excellence. He will help us, if we seek to help ourselves. Our hope of happiness in two worlds depends upon our improvement in one. At every point we should be guarded against the first approach to intemperance.

¢ Dear youth, God calls upon you to do a work which through His grace you can do. . . . Show a purity of tastes, appetite, and habits that bears comparison with Daniel's. God will reward you with calm nerves, a clear brain, an unimpaired judgment, keen perceptions. The youth of today whose principles are firm and unwavering, will be blessed with health of body, mind, and soul. {CC 248.6}

B. The Lord’s Designs for His Church to Accomplish

Wonderful is the work which the Lord designs to accomplish through His church, that His name may be glorified. A picture of this work is given in Ezekiel's vision of the river of healing: "These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that everything that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: . . . and by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine." Ezekiel 47:8-12. {AA 13.1}

Everyone in whose heart Christ abides, everyone who will show forth His love to the world, is a worker together with God for the blessing of humanity. As he receives from the Saviour grace to impart to others, from his whole being flows forth the tide of spiritual life. {AA 13.2}

God chose Israel to reveal His character to men. He desired them to be as wells of salvation in the world.

C. Spirit of Prophetic Power

God has said, "Them that honor Me, I will honor." While Daniel clung to his God with unwavering trust, the spirit of prophetic power came upon him. While he was instructed of man in the duties of court life, he was taught of God to read the mysteries of future ages, and to present to coming generations, through figures and similitudes, the wonderful things that would come to pass in the last days.--Signs of the Times, Sept. 28, 1882.

As Daniel clung to God with unwavering trust, the spirit of prophetic power came upon him. While receiving instruction from man in the duties of court life, he was being taught by God to read the mysteries of the future and to record for coming generations, through figures and symbols, events covering the history of this world till the close of time. {CSA 55.2}

The prophetic call came to Elisha while, with his father's servants, he was plowing in the field. He had taken up the work that lay nearest. He possessed both the capabilities of a leader among men and the meekness of one who is ready to serve. Of a quiet and gentle spirit, he was nevertheless energetic and steadfast. Integrity, fidelity, and the love and fear of God were his, and in the humble round of daily toil he gained strength of purpose and nobleness of character, constantly increasing in grace and knowledge. While co-operating with his father in the home-life duties, he was learning to co-operate with God…. Every act of life is a revelation of character, and he only who in small duties proves himself "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed" can be honored by God with higher service. {CC 220.5}

The time of Christ's coming, His anointing by the Holy Spirit, His death, and the giving of the gospel to the Gentiles, were definitely pointed out. It was the privilege of the Jewish people to understand these prophecies, and to recognize their fulfillment in the mission of Jesus. Christ urged upon His disciples the importance of prophetic study. Referring to the prophecy given to Daniel in regard to their time, He said, "Whoso readeth, let him understand." Matthew 24:15. After His resurrection He explained to the disciples in "all the prophets" "the things concerning Himself." Luke 24:27. The Saviour had spoken through all the prophets. "The Spirit of Christ which was in them" "testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." 1 Peter 1:11. {DA 234.1}