# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1910_S25
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1910. 25

to the knowledge. In the beginning God had given man, besides the natural
light and besides the bodily ability to contemplate God's works,
a far more glorious light, the blessed knowledge of God,
in keeping with the image of God after which they were created. But
this very light was lost through sin, and it now holds of all
natural men: "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is
in them, because of the blindness of their heart," Eph. 4:8. There is
no spiritual knowledge whatever in the natural human heart, no
ability to know God aright; yes, man loves darkness
and hates the light. How, then, can light come again out of such darkness?

For this a new creation is necessary. God must accomplish this work,
otherwise it remains undone. Only his power can
bring it about. "We believe according to the working of his mighty power,"
Eph. 1:19. "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus,"
Eph. 2:10. And God, who has the power to work saving knowledge,
also wills to accomplish this wonder-work according to his gracious will.
Children of God are not born of the will of the flesh nor of the will of a man, but: "Of his own will begat he us," James 1:18. It is God who brings
people to the knowledge of himself.

The means by which he does this is his Word. "God
commanded the light to shine out of darkness." By his Word:
"Let there be light!" he accomplishes this work, turns darkness into
day. God's Word is the means and instrument of conversion, of
enlightenment, of rebirth. God's Word is the channel through which
light and knowledge flow to our soul. God's Word is the
eye-salve that makes us see. Paul says in our text that
God gave him and the other apostles a bright light in the heart.
God's Word is the bright light that makes the blind see.
The Law too is a light; it has a brightness, a splendor that
comes from God. To be sure, this light is terrifying. In it
blaze and burn God's holiness and wrath. It convinces us that we
sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. It lights up the
abyss over which the sinner hangs, into which he has sunk. It
does not help him out of the abyss, does not lead him out of the darkness. But the Law has a fading splendor.
Its terrible brightness pales and makes way for the incomparably
fairer, comforting light of the Gospel. The Gospel
shines in surpassing brightness. Through the Gospel God the Holy Spirit
enlightens the heart of man and brings him to the saving
knowledge of God.

God has in grace given us this knowledge through his Word.
We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. Through his