"Know Thyself?" -- Know Him!

Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher, would tell his charges, "know thyself."

Yet the naivete of the human mind cannot overcome the law of sin and death which wages and wars against a man. Only Christ can set us free from that bondage:

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8: 2)

Before exploring the fulness of this freedom, let us put aside the arrogant notion that a man can "know himself:

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17: 9)

We have a heart problem, one that touches to the core of man, beyond the power of his mind:

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51: 10)

The Lord can great in us the heart that we need, more than just by mere thinking, or even an extended understanding of ourselves:

"And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

"That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God." (Ezekiel 11: 19-20)

When we have a new heart within us, then we can follow Solomon's advice with ease:

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3: 5-6)

Solomon's inspired wisdom told us where, or rather who to look to for wisdom -- God!

Therefore, the believer should not be spending any more time learning about himself, but rather grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3:18). The more we know Him, who He is, what He has done for us, and what He wants to do through us, then we will know ourselves:

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)