MH page 461

Thus through faith they come to know God by an experimental knowledge. They have proved for themselves the reality of His word, the truth of His promises. They have tasted, and they know that the Lord is good.

Believers gain an experimental knowledge of God and prove the reality of His word through faith. The text describes a spiritual relationship with God and personal experience of faith, not empirical medical claims.

The beloved John had a knowledge gained through his own experience. He could testify:

The apostle John possessed a personal, experiential knowledge of Christ. This functions as an introductory narrative statement to a scriptural citation.

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:1-3 .

John testifies to what he has seen, heard, and handled concerning the Word of life. This paragraph contains a direct scriptural quotation from 1 John 1:1-3.

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 bear witness to that which he himself has seen and heard and felt of the power of Christ. He can testify:

Every individual can personally bear witness to the power of Christ through their own experience. The passage discusses spiritual testimony and personal faith rather than testable medical hypotheses.

“I needed help, and I found it in Jesus. Every want was supplied, the hunger of my soul was satisfied; the Bible is to me the revelation of Christ. 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.”

A person can find their needs supplied and soul satisfied through faith in Jesus and the Bible. The text presents a personal testimony of spiritual fulfillment and belief.

He who has gained a knowledge of God and His word through personal experience is prepared to engage in the study of natural science. Of Christ it is written, “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.” John 1:4 . Before the entrance of sin, Adam and Eve in Eden were surrounded with a clear and beautiful light, the light of God. This light illuminated everything which they approached. There was nothing to obscure their perception of the character or the works of God. But when they yielded to the tempter, the light departed from them. In losing the garments of holiness, they lost the light that had illuminated nature. No longer could they read it aright. They could not discern the character of God in His works. So today man cannot of himself read aright the teaching of nature. Unless guided by divine wisdom, he exalts nature and the laws of nature above nature's God. This is why mere human ideas in regard to science so often contradict the teaching of God's word. But for those who receive the light of the life of Christ, nature is again illuminated. In the light shining from the cross, we can rightly interpret nature's teaching.

Spiritual enlightenment through Christ allows individuals to correctly interpret the teachings of nature. It combines theological concepts about creation and divine illumination with statements about how human beings perceive and interpret scientific information.