Proverbs 20:27
The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the innermost parts of his being.
In this proverb we have the discussion of the conscience that is within all men. Without it man would be in total darkness. Despite his depravity, however, Solomon tells us that the conscience supplied by God does two things for man: First it provides a light (lamp). It gives him some direction from total destruction. Man was made in the image of God and despite the sin that turned him to a total depraved human being, God's conscience still provides him with some anchor for his lost soul. Without it he would be lost in the deepest part of the deepest sea. There is a second aspect of this God-given light, however. It also searches the very being of man. It wanders through the intermost parts of man and reveals where he/she lacks and where God needs to redeem him/her. It is God's light that keeps man from turning on himself and others. It searches the soul and the being and reminds him/her of God's laws and God's manners. We should thank God for this inner "light." It is God who keeps man, even non-believers, in a moral way and noble sense. It is not enough to provide him/her salvation but it is enough to keep him/her from self destruction. Notice what Paul tells the Colossians in the following verse:
Colossians 1:12
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
We have been given the wisdom we need through the Light ... through Jesus Christ who indwells us. That is where our wisdom comes from ... because we have the God of Wisdom within us.
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